59 Herald t Unttm 12 December 'B4 —

Our Readers Write

Unjudged Bands Crushed

To The Editor: Every year, a large segment of the communities in the Cape May area involves itself in the West Cape May Christmas Parade. It has always been a very enjoyable event that belp6 to foster "holiday spirit" througout the county. This year's parade did not fulfill its mission of good will. I was at the parade Dec. 1. 1 knew a number of children in the parade in many different youth groups, so 1 went to the West Cape May Borough Hall after the parade for the awards ceremooy. Trophies were graciously awarded in various categories to competitive groups. Most of the participating organizations were represented: church and community service groups, ambulance and fire companies, dance troupes and schools. A GLARING OMISSION in the awards ceremooy was the lack of a music award. In between the presentations of the two final awkrds — Most Outstanding Marching Unit and Most Outstanding Entry in the Parade, the master of ceremonies stated that no band unit would be awarded a trophy because they had been paid If all of the townspeople could have seen the expressions mi the faces of the children in the different band units, they would have known that the children thought they were h*»)"g judged. The children never knew that their bands were given money for participation expenses (which go toward buses and drivers), until that moment They were crushed. The master of ceremonies failed to elaborate on his statement because bands have been paid to participate for the past years and have been eligible for judging and awards every year but this one BAND MEMBERS as a unit, comprise a higher percentage of parade participants than any other category Because of the sheer numbers involved, it takes months of

practice to prepare for a specialty parade; not even considering learning bow to play an instrument. To take the bands out of oh awards even negates the work the children put into the Christmas show and theme shown at the judges' stand I was in the midst of a group of band parents and members after the awards. It was then that one of the judges approached a participating band director to duscuss the award presentation. He said. "Please don't be mad at the judges because we were told explicitly by the Parade Committee that under no circumstances were the bands to be judged." He went on to mention that the judges had in fact considered the hands for competition and they were told not to judge the bands at the end of the parade when (bey walked into the Borough Hall. The band director said to the judge, "I'm not upset about the hands not being judged. I am upset that I was not notified before the parade so the students could be told." r IN SUMMARY : ( 1 ) If the Parade Committee wanted to i avoid rivalries, they should have awarded participation trophies to all groups like they did a few years ago. i Rivalries do exist in categories other than bands. (2) The Parade Committee should not have announced i at the ceremony in front of all of the children that they could not get an award because "they" wo* paid i t (3) Categories are never the same from year to year, even .rath the same groups involved Rule changes and category changes should be made public prior to the » parade r It is devastating for a young child to have more than one i Santa Claus in a parade. It is equally devastating for any young person to have his or her "holiday spirit" crushed because of parade mismanagement. _ TRUDY GROSSMAN f . Rio Grande

Another Rate Hike

/ Do I Eat Less? ,

(ED NOT\^Following statement by Rudy Jeschon oj North CapeRbay. president of the Lower Township Federation of Senior Citizens, was given at the Nov 26 Board of PubUc Utilities hearing in Atlantic City. I am Rudy Jeschon, president of the Lower Township Federation of Senior CitizeiE, and affiliate of the New Jersey Federation of Senior Citizens. First, I would like to ask this question Why are there no hearings held in Cape May County? We have a large population of senior citizens and retired people, as well as seasonal workers in the tourist industry in our area who are rate payers of Atlantic Electric. Most of the senior citizens and retirees' are on a fixed yearly income. We simply cannot afford another increase in the electric rates, or any other utility rate, for that matter. We know some people get help from the lifeline program. but the overall picture is not good. We are told to conserve energy by lowering our tber m os tat, shut off the water heater when not needed, and turn off all unnecessary lights. But the biggest question is : "Do I eat less?" "Do I have to sit in the dark, and possibly get hypother mia and freeze to death?" The seniors have done the above but still we find that some of us cannot make ends meet, especially those who have only their social security check as a means of monthly income. These people include a large number of us in the state of New Jersey and the area served by Atlantic Electric. Your Company asks consumers to add a dollar on their monthly payment to help those unable to pay the electric bill. Next you will ask for a donation of two dollars because as your rates increase, so will the number of impoverished customers of Atlantic Electric, who can no longer pay their monthly bill Other consumers, especially the younger generation who are just starting out in life, ( most of whom have alleleetric homes, with large mortgages) need a car to go to work. With health bills for their families and some with only seasonal work in the shore area, many are hardpressed financially. How are they supposed to survive and keep paying the steadily rising costs of all utilities including the electric bill?

Businessmen* motel ami store owners have had increases in business expenses and must pass it on to the customers in raised pricp In 1982 Atlantic Electric asked for a very large rate increase but it was cut badk substantially by the Board of Public Utilities. However, on Dec. 14, 1982, the allowable increase went into effect. At that time a consumer using 500 kilowatts previously had paid $41.36 but this was increased as of Dec. 14, 1982, to $50 .16 (or an increase of $8.80 per month). For the last couple of years we have been receiving a levelized fule adjustment rebate on our bills because your company anticipated higher fule costs. Is this going to happen again with the new anticipated C06ts you have stated in the newspapers'* Or is the consumer again going to have to pay in advance for another cost error on Atlantic Electric 's part? I request that this rate increase be denied because of utility management's inprudent decisions, and that the replacement costs of energy purchased due to the failure of the nuclear plants not operating, be passed through to the investors, who have the power to bold the company and its management accountable for its failures. The rate payer does not have that power. Since we are captive customers to a monopolistic set ting, subject to the regulatory' process of the B.P.U., why not' pass the cost of replacement energy to the , hotel/casino complex ' who are responsible for the unusual demand and need for electricity via the marginal adjustment charge? "Hie B.P.U. and the Public Advocates office should thoroughly investigate this proposed increase Atlantic Electric is applying for, especially after reading again the Atlantic Electric is considering a merger with an out of i state utility company - the Delmarva Power and Light Company. If this merger is approved what will be the i status of Atlantic Electric's rate structure to us, the consumer in South Jersey?? * ) This problem of Atlantic Electric and its method of fix i ing costs and increasing rates should be brought before the newly appointed advisory board to the Board of Public ] utilities, so that the original intent (when the B.P.U. was established in 1911) as a consumer protection agency for all the people of the state of New Jersey be put in effect.

Endoscopy Unit Available

To The Editor: The staff of Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital con^ gra filiates Shore Memorial Hospital on the opening of their new endcscopy unit described in the Nov. 28 Herald and Lantern. BTMH fully appreciates the value of a facility dedicated specifically to these procedures which can be done most safely in the hospital. A same-day surgery unit with an endoscopy room was opened here last January integral part of new outpatient facilities and services. Seventy to ninety endoscopic procedures are performed here each moctlr BEFORE this UNIT was opened, these out-pauem procedures were routinely done in our operating room suite with over 2,000 accomplished during the past five years. . In-patient and out-patient bronchoscopy is anotner BTMH service. For slmort two yesre s speciil umt Tor that purpose has been part of our expanded cardiopulmonary department

We are pleased that our Atlantic County hospital neighbor has expanded their facilities, but feel your article may have been misleading. Cape May County residents have loog bad the services described in it available close to bome. JOANN OXLEY Director Community Relations Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital (ED. NOTE: After a half-dozen phone calls back and forth to Burdette Tomlin and Shore Memorial, we can report without fear of contradiction that the two totally disagree. The area of disagreement seems to center on who does how many endoscopic procedures In what size '■unit," and whether it is "dedicated." For our part, we hope as few as possible of our readers need the procedure. )

Joyride III \ By Libby Demp Forrest '

Two hours after the trashman took away the old sofa, someooe wanted it. An hour later someone else wanted it Last weekend when we visited No l at college, he said he could have used it in his room "But it had stuffing coming out of en arm Remember''" I said. "When it was in the house last sum mer you kids kept telling me we really needed a new sofa." "Yeah," remembered No. 1. "But at the dorm we'll take anything." "IT IS KIND OF like the Salavation Army around here,'' I said looking over No i s room "How come that bed is on top of the desk"'" "That's to make more room." said No 1 as I studied his roommates's bed pillered on a desk "Now we have plenty erf room for a sofa We really could have used that sofa here." \ I hung my head and looked out the dorm window to watch two coeds lugging a three-legged chair across the parking lot. - "I don't know," I mused. "All you kids come from good homes where the parents scrimp and save to keep their homes nice. You kids are always embarrassed when the furniture gets tacky. But once you get to college you furnish your rooms from the local dump NO. 1 CAME to the window and watched the girls carry the three-legged chair up the walk "Good legs." said No. 1. "Good legs? " 1 said "Hiere are only three legs " "1 mean the blonde," said No. 1. "Not the chair " No. 2 came into the room from down the hall where he had been visiting a friend's of No l's. "Boy, college life is interesting," said No. 2. "People just kind of hang around and listen to music Hey, how come that bed is on top of the desk?" "It's to conserve space," I said knowledgeably "CAN I CLIMB up there and lie down7" asked No 2 "No." I said "I have the feeling this arrangement could handle anything except you." ^ "I kind of like the idea of a sort of bunk bed without a lower level." said No 2 "Maybe I'll do something like that at home " "Not in my house you won't.".! said absolutely positively. "I guess I'll just have to wait until I get to college before I can live well," said No. 2.

The Golden Edge <=

Oil of Oy Vey By DOROTHEA^' COOPER A woman on a television commercial advertising hair color gaily sweeps aside a wisp of golden hair and says. "I'm 40 and proud of it." Big deal She's 4m if she's a day A neighbor fnend subscribes to several magazines which she passes on to me. which 1 pass on to someone else, etc., etc. Some are aimed at teenagers (she has two daughters) and others at women of other ages - up to a point Reading them and taking their advice you can be gorgeous, a smashing success and win the man (or men > of your dreams IF you use their advertised products There isn't much for us of riper years Ob yes, they do show some photographs of 50-ish models with gray hair, yet, but that is about the extent of their tribute to the mature (read "old") reader AFTER BEING bombarded constantly by TV ads of countless beautiful (of course they're young! ) women who attribute their good looks and radiant, unlined faces to a certain oil, < Come to think of it, a lot of the women are foreign-accented who can't be reached and asked to prove it.) I finally gave in. bought my first four ounces of this wonder-working stuff. Having taken off several pounds from the old bod for health reasons, I found that my figure was much improved and certainly my health, but oh, the wrinkles! They came out of hiding from everywhere, i especially on the face ~ Actually they may have been there all the time and I didn't notice them b.f.c. - before cataract surgery FOR SOME TIME NOW I have applied the "miracle worker" morning and night, and sometimes during the day. I have a pleasant (I think) face, a little shiny but mil# own, but 1 am convinced that there must be / r something wrong I look into the mirror and if there is any s improvement (and now I can really see'.) it eludes me. 1 To date, no stranger has suddenly come up to me on the street and said "Pardon me, but I couldn't help admiring your beautiful complexion. Please tell me your secret." i There is still Some of the elixir left, and being frugal I i 11 use it to the last drop. Hope springs eternal. I call it v Oil of Oy Vey. * Recently at a social affair, a very kind person said to me t "Your're great!" Gratefully I said "thank you r very much." r it'g amaring what a good brassiere, a long-sleeved, high-necked frilly blouse and support panty-hose can do.