* > ' ' ' Si t 1 I: COUNTY ^ ^ fltralii ^ »■ • ~

Vol. 20 No. 52 'n., December 26, 1984

News~J!L__ Digest Z^L. Scared Off . SEA ISLE CITY — Threatened by the state Division of Coastal Resources with loss of future shore protection funds, the city cancelled the auction of 23 of 25 lots in low-lying areas between 22nd and 26th streets west of Landis Avenue Minimum price would have been $55,000 Help Wanted WILDWOOD — Resumes are being solicited from anybody who wants to apply for Victor DiSylvester's old job on citv council. The job became vacant when he was elected mayor in the recent recall election. Whoever gets the job must apply pefore Jan. 4, and also run for reelection' in May Mired in Muck COURT HOUSE — Middle Township will hold a public hearing at 3 today on Santo Cardile's application for a permit to dump muck on his land near wetlands on the Wildwood border. Some of the muck had already been dumped there bj Cruz Construction Co., which is laying sewer pipe in Wildwood Crest. The township got a temporary restraining order for the dumping to stop, i ' ' Freeholders Aren't Free COURT HOUSE — Freeholders will haveta public hearing Jan. 22 on a proposed 5 percent increase in their own paw That would hike them $750 to $15*50, and the director of the board $800 to $flL800 The freeholders increased *3,000 'ast January, the first hike siiwe 1980. They said the proposed 5 percent increase matches the hike that county employes will get next year. TVo More Free Rides? VTLLAS — Lower Township Rescue Squad will begin charging patients $75 or more for ambulance trips Jan. 1 unless the township government comes up with ways to help out the squad financially, Chief Kevin Hart told municipal officials (Page 26 Please) — Inside r THE FREEHOLDERS strangle the public's right to know. An editorial) page 34. THE EVOLUTION of some New Year resolutions. Ruth Wanberg, page 35. REMEMBER pany waists? Dorothea Cooper, page 35.

Wages Key to Cape I May Tax Increase I

By JOHN DONOHUE CAPE MAY — The possibility of a tax increase is a sore subject in this city, nearly half of whose residents are retirees living on fixed incomes. But with more spending projected for higher city salaries, plus higher charges for water and sewers, the cost of living will be going up in Cape May in 1985. It will all come out in the wash when city council adopts a temporary budget on Jan. 7. In the meantime, it mulls over whether to freeze all wages, as Mayor Arthur Blomkvest has suggested, or to give five percent pay raises, as City Manager Fred Coldren wants. The final budg$ won't be adopted until March, but any salary incr^ses provided in it will be made retro^H to Jan. 1. MEANWHILE, HAlJPof the town's 86-member, full-time work force will be left without new contracts when their cur-

rent, one-year pacts with the city expire on Monday. City Manager Fred Coldren 's own con- ' tract, which paid him $38,880 in 1984 also [ runs out on Dec. 31. So does that of Police Chief Harry Stotz Jr., who earned $33,755. Then there are three unions representing police, fc.-emen, public works and sewer personnel which negotiated tentative contracts with Coldren asking for pay raises for their people. Those contracts have yet to be settled. "WE BELIEVE we have settlements closing in at five percent," said Coldren, who added that the same raise the unions get would also be given to the city's nonunion workers The three-member city council also has proposed increasing its own pay from $3,000 to $6,000 a year. Thrown into all of that is the city's latest wage scale, which it draws up annually, SI (Page 26 Please) ' Hi

FREDERICK W SCHMIDT JR. What about county expansion

JAMES S KILPATRICK JR. You were begging us to expand. 1 ' •sagging us co expana.

Residents Pledge Fight

COURT HOUSE — Local residents say they'll continue to fight the proposed Court House Convalescent Center. "We're sitting on a cesspool of bacteria," said Karl Faust, a resident of Romney Place adjacent to the nursing borne site. He referred, he said, to septic problems at the Jamesway and Murphy shopping centers and adjacent properties. "Many people in the village can't believe you can dump 18,000 gallons of septic fluid into 2Vi acres safely," said Faust. He said a "group of concerned residents, " with no formal name, have collected funds and will employ "two well-known sanitary engineers from outside this area to examine the site, examine the plans and look ova- the recommendations from CAFRA. "If we get opinions, as we expect we will," said Faust, "that indicates this is not a proper operation at this location, then we will seek either further administrative relief, through the administrative law judge, or go to federal court for an injunction." Faust said "lengthy litigation" would result. . . Although a retired attorney, Faust said be, himself, would not do the legal work. Although he was born here and returned five

years ago in retirement, he earned his degree in Illinois and practiced in Illinois and Indiana At last week's hearing. Faust identified himself as "a prospective member of a taxpayers' committee being formed " "TTlis will overflow into the creek that runs through the middle of this town, " he said. "These people keep building They continue merrily on their way I don't think they realize they have a community up in arms." — Early Deadline — If it's Wednesday, you've got a few minutes to get in your news and advertising for the Jan. 2 issue Today's the deadline. If it's Thursday, you didn't make it. . The Herald-Lantern office at 106 N. Main St. in Court House will be closed Dec. 31-Jan. 2. Hope your Christmas was great; hope your New Year's Eve will be exactly what you want it. And next week, back to normal deadlines, thank goodness

r County Drops Home Opposition

Monitoring Well to Check Water Quality By JOE ZELNIK COURT HOUSE — Satisfied that the question of ground water pollution has been .addressed, the county Planning Board last week dropped its opposition to the proposed Court House Convalescent Center on Magnolia Drive. That 6-2 vote came after a dramatic 2% -hour hearing that included a handdelivered "addendum to an addendum" from Trenton, vocal opposition from a half-dozen members of the public, and a sharp clash between two attorneys — Frederick W Schmidt Jr of Court House and James S Kilpatrick, a freeholder member of the board who was one of the two "no" votes. The undated first "addendum" from the Division of Coastal Resources of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has not satisfied the Planning Department. ELWOOD JARMER, county planning director, came to the 3 p.m. Dec 18 meeting with a memo saying there was little choice for the board but to continue the appeal" because " the amended decision admits that water quality (nitrates) was not considered " But Jarmer did not distribute the memo announcing that "there is a second addendum on its way." It arrived at 3 : 30, from Joseph L. Lomax whose environmental consulting firm had prepared the CAFRA (Coastal Area Facilities Review Act) application for Court House Convalescent Center That prompted board member John N MacLeod to comment lata: "I resent that the applicant's consultant brought us this addendum to an addendum. " "This was not impropa," said Lomax "I happened to be in Trenton on other business I brought this as a courtesy " UNLIKE THE FIRST addendum, the second one, dated that day, said that "nitrate loading from the proposed septic system was recently evaluated by the permittee's consultant and reviewed by the Division of Coastal Resources " . 11 said toat the required dilution of 10 PPm < parts pa million) would be achieved •Page 26 Please)

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SEASON SCENE b Hetty boas* on Street la Caae Mav Court Hoase. It dates to the 17Ms and is owned by Helen and Lerory Westcott.