JZ \ Herald & lantern 16 lanuary '85 : — \ 1 77

Revived Chamber Needs People, Money . . .i a ' J" r iliMntnx montc a n

By JOHN DONOHlJfe VILLAS — Lower Township's Chamber of Commerce, refuting rumors of its demise, will elect a new president at a membership meeting Wednesday. Jan. 30. _ Incoming president, Stewart Millard, proprietor of Villas Market, said the rumors "had a lot of people upset. As far as I'm concerned. it's nothing but bull." Membership in 1984. he said, was up 20 percent. Neither Millard nor his wife^ Bonnie, chamber secretary, returned pmme cajls from the Herald-Lantern before lasWeek's story, headlined "Lower Chamber rvHOd, or Just on the Ropes?" / Former chamber president Abraham • Bonet had told this paperthat the chamber folded "Right now," he predicted in last week's edition, "nobody will say anything about it. They don't want the publicity." Millard will succeed Erma advertising man Warren Garretson at the annual reorganization meeting at the Miami Inn. Marshall Howey. of Howey's Nursery, will be the new vice-president, a post Millard held in 1984 TWO INCUMBENTS. John McMonagle. treasurer, and Bonnie Millard, secretary, are slated to be re-elected. Matt Steere rounds out the slate for director Millard, in a press release Monday, identified incumbent directors as Boyd Tyler. Robert Conroy Jr., Tom Jacob, Wanda Kempinski. Joyce Worrell and Robert Obermeier. . . . Tyler, a long-time member, said, We lost a lot of members from the summer, but it's always been a good, strong chamber Off hand, I'd say it has close to a hundred members." . Robert Patterson, executive director of the county Chamber of Commerce, said Friday that the Lower group's annual dues had . not been paid yet for 1985. They were due Jan. 1. P ATTERSON DID NOT seem overly concerned about that.

"They've had their ups and downs in a years before," said Patterson. "They've a never been overly active with the county chamber, but they do pay dues." " Patterson said the county group exerts no authority over local, independent chambers, a and "does not interfere" with local policy P or internal politics. "The county chamber will assist in certain other matters, if requested," Patterson I added, or if advice is sought. 1 In the press release, Millard listed various goals for 1985 and said, "We need people and ^ we need money." n One of the goals is a membership commit- ( tee drive to increase the rolls by 10 to 15 per- £ cent, he said. v Another is to retire the mortgage on the Ixjwer chamber's Villas headquarters which remains closed during the winter with the telephone disconnected. ( ••WE'RE STILL PAYING on the building, J but it doesn't pay to keepittjpen during the winter; there isn't enough interest, "-Millard said. 1 The office will reopen for the summer season, he added. Rumors were running rampant for the past week about the chamber being disbanded while Millard was confined to a sick bed and unavailable for comment. "It is true the chamber has problems raising money to support the building and various projects," he said Monday. "We also know that every member cannot put effort and time into these projects. All organizations have a small amount of people that can devote the time and effort into their projects. We need people and we need money." MILLARD SAID one of his aims for 1985 is to cooperate with the new township council and the county to bring light industry into Lower. He also wants to set up a trade show for the fall and to haye an active legislative committee to stfpport all local, county and state legislation that vftfl benefit the business community. Another goal, Millard said, is to develop

program for students on how to apply for and get summer jobs. He said that regular membership dinner meetings are being held every other month,

and that board of on alternate months. Members are always notified of these meetings by mail, Millard said.

Mews Notes from — r; Seven Mile Beach 1 1 t M'Ellen Rowland 168-2294 1 . ^ • I I— — — — — I

Great success comes earlier to some than to others. We thought we had it made when Sara Brady called us to report she'd gotten two phone calls from Ocean City to inquire whether an article in the Hera Id really referred to her daughter, tit did). Our spouse has been trying to scrape us off the ceiling ever since — talk about widely read! • • • Borough of Stone Harbor elected officials met Jan. 7 for a reorganization meeting. Eric L. Arer berg. William Cathcart and Robert Boyer were sworn into office as councilmans Arenberg, who has served on council for as long as vintage residents can remember, was again selected as council president. He is currently fulfilling the unexpired term of Robert J. Fitzpatriik and will have to run for office ^ again in the next primary election. STANDING committees named for '85 were: Public Safety -%Arenberg, Cathcart ana tfen Hawk; Health and Welfare — Boyer, Hawk and Harry

Strohmetz; Beach Front 1 Improvements — Boyer, « Cathcart and Lou Clellend ; « Publicity - Arenberg, Boyer and Clelland ; Fresh 1 Water & Sanitary Collec- 1 tion System — Arenberg, I Cathcart and Strohmetz < (who knows everything there is to know about this post). Mayor Arden Hand, who was unable to attend the session but was reelected by 624 votes in the November election, will be sworn into office at the Tuesday, Jan. 22 meeting, 7 p.m. at Borough Hall. * • • A va Ion's Seniors (ASCO) held its February luncheon meeting in '^Downtown Avalon's beautiful community dining room" on the 8th. It was a manymember effort. The guys started setting the hall up at 9 a.m. and the gals had joined them by 10. Ingredients for the lunch were supplied by Luncheon is Served, Rice-A-Roni and Myer's Cream Rum prepared and served by high honchos in the K.P. Dept. including Reba Raeburn and Ray Beck. • • • AVALON'S Best

Decorated House contest for the holiday season was judged by Robert, Betteanne. Amy and AUyson of Dennisville and Deb and Danna Haberle of Belleplain. ^ There were 10 categories and prizes were awarded to the following: * Best of All - Mr. and Joseph Salfi; Blinkiest — Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Libetti; Spirit of Christmas — Mr. and Mrs. William Leahy; Traditional — Mr. and Mrs. Louis Perrotta; Children's Choice — Mr. and Mrs. Steve Sylvestter; Most Lights — Mrs. Esther D'Arrigo; Most Original — Mr. and Mrs. George Feise (this one was so clever it was a shoo-in); Atlantic Electric's Best Customer — Mr. and Mrs. Leon Garafalo Sr.; Best Design — Mr. and Mrs. Williams; and Best Decorated Business — Steve's Avalon Gulf Station." Readers have called us to find the name of any organization wanting the Christmas cards they received this year to make into tags or decorations for next year. Like our callers we hate to throw away lovely cards too, so if anyone can use them, please call us at 368-2294 and we'll see that word gets around.

Market Fire CAPE MAY — Firemen from this resort and West Cape May battled a . blaze Sintlay night that extensively damaged the Texas Avenue Food Market. The fire, which started between 8:30-9 p.m., reportedly spread from the kitchen, perhaps through the ventilation, to the rest of the complex. Firefighters 1 1 also doused the Cross Winds clothing store and Model Coop Laundry adjacent to the market.

Burned in Fire SEA ISLE CITY — Jessie McAvoy, 40, was seriously burned when fire destroyed her home early Saturday at 31 38th St. A daughter, Michelle, 16, was also injured, and the family dog died in the blaze. Mrs. McAvoy was employed at the Deauville Inn, Strathmere, where manager Lynda Scanlon is seeking donations to help pay the family's medical expenses. Send " them c/o the Deauville Inn, Box 406, Strathmere, N.J., 08248

News Digest (From Page 1) 1880's. Replacing them could cost as much as $700,000, engineer Bruce Graham figures, or temporary repairs could be done for $15,000 to $20,000 that would last five years. City Council Monday instructed him to get some firm estimates. Budget Meeting Today VILLAS — Lower Township councilmen will meet in special session «. at 2 p.m. today "to discuss and work on J the 1985 budget document," according to J Municipal Clerk Claudia R. Kammer. "Action may be taken." The first session was held Monday night on the proposed $6 million budget that projects a 17 cents increase in the local purpose tax rate. If approved unchanged, the budget would mean a hike from 36-53 cents for every $100 of assessed property valuation. Public hearings are expected in late January or early February. It's Okay; You're Okay STONE HARBOR - The borough's eight-year-old water tank got its first inside paint job over the holidays. And local residents got some tastes and odors they didn't like out of their faucets. It was all due to flushing the tank and providing some extra chlorination to make sure the water was okay, according to borough manager Edwin F. Pain. There were some complaints by the public, but none from the Wawa which had a run on bottled water. The local v ater was tested at the lab of Stockton State College and found acceptable Pain said. Vicious Circle OCEAN CITY — Ten-cent an hour ' parking meters may go the way of the hoola hoop and the nickel cup of coffee. ' The local parking authority has asked city council to raise the ante to 20 cents per hour, although a dime would still buy 30 minutes and likely a ticket, on downtown meters. Extra revenue would be used to buy more parking facilities, where motorists no doubt also will pay to park. Half and Half SEAVILLE — The county Chamber of Commerce won't be evicted from its tourist center on the Parkway after all, but will have to share space after the place is renovated. "It's more than we expected, we're very pleased with it," said Richard Giuliano, chamber vice president. He said the group could never afford to make such improvements by itself. So, the state will run its half, the county the other, at the Roy Rogers rest stop. Petersburg Plan PETERSBURG — The Upper Township Planning Board will hold a public hearing Jan. 24, on a proposed major subdivision for Killdeer Hill Road and PetersburgDennisville Road. The applicant, Oakwood Corp., seeks a variance to allow 20-foot wide streets and a waiver of sidewalk and curb requirements. The hearing will begin at 8 p.m. in Township Hall off Route 50, Tuckahoe. Pier Pressure •NORTH WILDWOOD - Morey's Pier, ' which jumped the gun by starting to expand off 26th Avenue onto city-owned land, has agreed to pay $5,00Q in 1 appraisal fees to see how much the land is worth. If the city and Morey's can come to terms, the footage will be sold, rather than leased to the pier. Morey's had offered to pay $15,000 annual rent. Work remains at a standstill until the deal is concluded.

Imaginative Sentence WILDWOOD — State division of criminal Justice officials have decided that resort car dealer Robert Kindle's sentence for assaults last January was imaginative byt not improper. Superior Court Judge Michael Conner sentenced Kindle ta eight hours in jail, one-year probation and 100 hours of community service for assaulting Municipal Court Judge P. Martin Way III, Wildwood Crest Patrolman Wayne McGaha and Fishing Creek resident Frederick W. Cole III outside Neil's Steak and Oyster House on Dec. 22, 1982. Conner allowed Kindle to complete the community service sentence in Jamaica. Pay Day COURT HOUSE - Public hearing will be held at 4:30 p.m., Jan. 22 in the county library -office building on a proposed pay hike for the county freeholders. The fivemember board plans to raise its pay $750 a year to $15,750 (and $800 to $16,800 for director Gerald M Thornton) Last year, members increased their pay by $3,000. A Few Good Women COURT HOUSE — Female?01d enough to vote? Want to advise the county freeholders on the "need for programs to meet the needs of county women?" Hustle on over to an organizational meeting of the Advisory Commission on the Status of Women in the county library meeting room at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24. Sel'ection process for die eventual 11-member group is under way and this will be an opportunity to be considered. The county branch of the American Association of University Women is spearheading the effort. Questions to the AAUW's Barbara Chojnadti at 390-3061. $1,000 per TUCKAHOE — It's more expensive for the Upper Township School District to operate its own 13 buses, according to a cost analysis, but the Board of Education decide to do so rather than hire a private firm to transport district students, Supt. ' John McGovern has confirmed. In August, the board rejected proposed construction of a $200,000 Perry Road garage for buses and maintenance vehicles. It opted instead to find out if a private outfit could bus students less expensively. It could — at about $1,000 per bus run, McGovern said. 3 Indicted | WOODBINE — County jurors have indicted Siegel Brothers Inc., the butcher shop's owner and manager for issuing $32,719.55 in bad checks to M. Friedenberg Co., Philadelphia, and to Albert Menz of Wildwood between June 29- July 19. Stuart L. Siegel was also , charged with trying to sell truck to M. Weganheim Sons, Atlantic City, although he did not hold clear title. He, his wife, Donna, and her brother, manager Louis Bianchino, face charges of theft by deception and issuing bad checks. Wants Job Back ... SWAINTON -County Municipal i \ Utilities Authority commissioners are \ supposed to decide tonight whether / lawyer John Mead will be reinstated as * MUA solicitor. He took a leave erf absence after his indictment last February for conspiracy and misconduct jn connection with alleged MUA kickbacks. Over the objections of the "" county prosecutor's office, Superior Court Judge Michael Conner dismissed the indictments against Mead last month. Now he wants back the $64,000-a-year job he held for 12 years.