opinion

Our Readers Write Fare-Free Secret Revealed

To The Editor: In the spring of this year, I received a telephone call ✓-froaiJoseph Zelnik, editor of the Herald/Lantern. Zelnik * informed that, over lunch, someone had made a reference to the county's Fare-Free Transportation Program, and it dawned on him how little he knew about its services. Thus, the telephone call. 9 At that time. I spent no less than 45 minutes enlighten- • ing Zelnik on the services we provide to the tune of 17,000 rides each month. In fact, when I advised Zelnik that the program is now available to the general public, he asked, 'You mean, if I wanted to visit my girlfriend in Rio Grande, you would take me?" I assured him that we take care of our elderly and our handicapped residents first but that, if a vehicle is going in that direction and a seat is available, we would be happy to take him. The next day, Doris Ward, photographer for the Hera Id /Lantern, stopped by to take pictures of a few of our vehicles, our drivers and office staff.

THE TAXPAYERS of Cape May County, either directly or indirectly, pay the salaries of Cae May County employes and, I rationalized the time I spent on the phone with Zelnik as a way to inform those taxpayers where some of their money is going, as well as update them on the progress of our program. I welcomed the chance to brag about Fare-Free and, after feeling certain that Zelnik was duly impressed, I waited. Weeks went by and not a hint of our conversation appeared in his publication. That is, not until Zelnik, while writing about his trip to Mexico, referred to Fare-Free as the best-kept secret in Cape May County. A secret that Zelnik, himself, apparently decided to keep. As most people are becoming aware, the Herald/Lantern is developing a reputation as a somewhat "juicy" tabloid and I suspect Zelnik could find no controversy in the Fare-Free Transportation Program. Our vehicles, like billboards, can be seen everywhere from Cape May to Ocean City — moving proof of county employes doing their job. I FELT NO NEED to respond since, it's the "nature of the beast" for an individual to speak up only at times when he/she feels something is wrong, and to be silent when all is well. I know we are doing a fine job and, if the need arises, there are, literally, thousands of county residents who have utilized Fare-Free Transportation for many years and who would come forward in support of the services it provides. However, in the Oct. 17 issue of the Herald/Lantern, Democratic freeholder candidate Peggie Bieberbach is quoted as saying "Transportation is another area where the county should do more ..." and, to this, I must respond that the county is doing more than its share already. THE FARE-FREE Transportation Program began in 1973, when a group of individuals from Villas were operating a bus which had been donated to them. Due to the age of the vehicle, the cost of maintenance became impossible for this small, yet innovative, group of senior citizens. These individuals approached Tony Catanoso and the other members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders for assistance, and their request resulted in the inception of the Senior Citizen Bus. As other area residents became aware of the bus provided to Vilas, naturally, they spoke up: "How about a bus for our area?" and, over the years, the service has grown to the present status of 21 drivers and 30 vehicles. To randomly increase the availability of county transportation services is relatively easy — simply hire additional drivers, purchase additional equipment, and then ignore the concern of county property owners as thier taxes continue to sky-rocket. The expansion that has taken place within the county Fare-Free system was made possible by the never-tiring eggrts of the present Board of Chosen Freeholders to seaaph under every rock for alternate funding sources, and has not increased the actual tax dollars used by the program/ BIEBERBACH IS ACCURATE about the questionnaire that Triple A employes received inquiring as to whether they would utilize Fare-Free. This same questionnaire

Tumbleweeds All You Need To The Editor : I am a transplant from Northeast Philly and along with my wife and kids am about to winter for the second time in Cape May County. I recall something in the paper about oficials wishing to change the image of closing down for the winter. Well, as a recent transplant from the big city, I see a few things that make the area look like they roll up the sidewalk. First, you can't keep a few stores open and expect people to go shopping. There is still plenty of good fishing, but just about ail the boat rental marinas are closed and not everybody is into surf fishing. What the area is in need of is a good, large fishing pier. LAST WEEK. I was out alone and tied up to the Ocean Drive bridge at Dad's Place and caught over forty tautog up to eight pounds, but you aren't allowed to tie up to these bridges and they are the best places to fish for tautog since they hang around pipings and rocks. If there were a fishing pier, there would be more people fishing late into the season and that means more money being spent. Another thing is, the islands turn off almost all of their traffic lights. Okay, there isn't enough traffic to keep all the lights working, but by turning them off they make it look like a ghost town. Probably the one biggest blunder of all is on the parkway. Why does the gas station close for the winter? I travel the parkway a lot and there is a good deal of traffic,

but what do the people see? Not only is the station closed, but they even take the damn pumps out. I mean all you need is a few tumbleweeds and you have your typical deserted town. A FEW OF THE MOTELS offer reduced off-season rates, but with most of the stores, restaurants and movie theatres closed, what are the people going to do? I mean you are not going to have people come down here to go bowling and with little or no advertising people don't know about the off-season rates. Look at this past month of October; we had some beautiful weather but so many places close after Labor Day that there is just no use in coming down. It seems that if the customers aren't standing five deep, then they might as well close the doors. As long as there is thinking like this, the area will always be an eight-month sleeper, and as long as politicians are elected who were born and raised here, things will probably never change f ^ H|Kui V fttbttofcad Evwty WrdMtxiiv Tht S«MW> Corpor«Moe P-O. Box OO Cay Mky Court How. HJ. 082 10

Joseph R. Zelnik Bonnie Reina Gary L. Rudy John Dunwoody Darrell Kopp

Editor General Manager Advertising Director Special Promotions Director Publisher

S*o wovi Corp. 19B4. All riohls reserved. All property rights (or the entire contents of this publicotion sholl be the property of the Seowove Corp. No port hereof moy be reproduced without prior written consent. DEADLINES * News & Photos Thursday Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 For News or Advertising Information Neither p*rtirinalin« adseftieen nor the publisher, of the HER 41.1) AND LANTERN will be responsible or liable for misinformation misprints, typographical errors, etc. in an« issue The editor re~r»rs the right to edit any letter or articles submitted for publication. MWWrttMNMilip 4? LANTERN r? t Published Evary Wednesday By The Seaweve Corporation / P.O. Boa 480 Cope Mey Court Bow. HJ. WtIO /J

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FARE-FREE — Mary Rowe, left, director of the County Transport^ion D e p a r t m e n t , with secretary Joan ShuteW was distributed to places of employment along Route 9. The response was overwhelming and, in 1980, a new funding source allowed us to add what is referred to as our "work -pool" program, which is available to the general public. In spite of Zelnik's suggestion that the work-pool program was created to accommodate only those employed by the county (who are, incidentally, tax payers as well), this service accounts for approximately 5,000 of the 17,000 rides provided per month and Bieberbach is certainly invited to utilize it. I have been employed by this department since its in- . ception. I have watched it grow and expand through the assistance and cooperation of the freeholders and, I can assure you that Bieberbach, in all of her "almost seven years of experience" has not once stopped into our offices, conveniently located at the county airport in her own Lower Township, nor has she once telephoned to express her interest in transportation or, even to inquire what services are available to those residents whom she serves. Nature of the beast or not, I suggest that Bieberbach and Zelnik, instead of being negatively Critical, recognize that Cape May County has next to no other means of public transportation and, giling just credit where it is due, congratulate our county Freeholders who, for the past 11 years, haye been about the only individuals to do anything about the mobility of our residents. ft MARY E. ROWE \ Director ! Cape May County Department of Transportation Erma (ED. NOTE:) Democratic Candidate Bieberbach' s complaints about transportation in the county were echoed by Republican candidate Herbert "Chuck" Frederick who called mass transit "a big lack" and said "there should be a mass transit system throughout the county, even if it's only a bus several times a day. Even in the summer, transportation is terrible."

pWhafs This "All Rise!" Skip s Safe ; He Has the Keys

By JOE ZELNIK Newspaper deadlines force me to write this before Tuesday's votes were counted. But I conducted extensive (extensive, boss, not expensive) polling and concluded that Larry Newbold will be elected freeholder with an avalanche of write-in votes. Let us first congratulate loser Gerry Thornton and look forward to a huge going-away party for him in December, featuring Tastykakes and Inglenook wine. Newbold's first hundred days in office will be noteworthy. County employes will be required to wear tee-shirts with the names of the freeholders facing election next year. (Women will not be permitted to wear wet teeshirts, with a few exceptions — watch this space. ) To ease resentment against that dress code, the management improvement study that made so many employes nervous by recommending "closer supervision" of them will be filed in a circular file. THE ARROGANCE of the county courts (what's this "All rise!" business?) will be dealt with by a 50 percent cut in judicial funds. Much of that will go to beef up the Prosecutor's office. We want to arrest more people, not set them free.* The cotrnty zoo will be closed and the wild animals released in the vicinity of environmentalist Ruth Fisher's South Seaville home. In an effort to increase public awareness, freeholder meetings (50 percent of which are now held behind closed doors) will not only be opened, not only taperecorded, but videotaped. The tapes will be rented to the public through the county library for $5 a bight, swelling the county coffers. Negotiations are under way to syndicate the show as a natural sequel to "Foulups, Bleeps and Bloopers." Newbold assures me there will be no major changes in county government, but all department heads (with two exceptions) will be asked to resign. This should not affect services. LEFT UNTOUCHED will be Transportation Department head Mary Rowe, because of her bizarre sense of humor (see above) and because she has the rotors to all

the Fare-Free vehicles in her purse; and Facilities & Services Director Mary (Skip) Kehr, becuase he's conscientious and because he has the keys to all the county's doors hanging from his waist. (A couple other department heads may be retained if they can prove their claims to know about all the skeletons behind those doors. ) Newbold also will have to fire the members of the Beach, Inlet and Bay Stabilization Committee, for failing to stabilize the bay; the board of agriculture, since agriculture is declining; the county bridge commission, for being uncooperative; and the environmental council (on which he serves) for seldom meeting. ' ALSO TO BE CANNED are the Industrial and Economic Development Commission, for failing to develop industry; the Welfare Board, because we intend to abolish welfare; the Public Health Advisory Committee, for publicly poohpoohing salt water intrusion while privately eating low-sodium meals at its quarterly luncheon meetings ; and the Mosquito Commission, because I got bit in July. (The MUA, it will be noted, will be left intact on the grounds that we need someone to blame for everything.) This should not be considered a large-scale shakeup. It affects only a couple hundred people, most of them unpaid, who can easily be replaced by irate former Cass Clark ceramics students at the Airport Senior Center who are itching to get their fingers into something again. MOST OF THOSE boards don't have enough power to do any harm, but the ax will fall on the fledgling Cultural and Heritage Commission which in a few months is already responsible for spending more than $100,000 in taxpayers' money for "original art" in county buildings. Newbold and I feel that taxpayer support of the arts smacks of F .D.R. New Dealism and has no place in this county. We endorse the suggestion of Harvard professor Edward C. Banfield who feels that copies of famous art are just as good as the originals. And cheaper Even reproductions, I personally feel, are an unnecessary taxpayer expense when there are plenty of free calendars with beautiful scenery available everv January.