— dining & entertainment

^ News Notes from r The Wildwoods Thomas Parsons 7 29-5768

There seems to be considerable activity in the ! motel sales department. As usual, everything is "For Sale" — for a price — but this winter all indications point to "The Price Is Right". Recently, we reported the sale of the Kona Motor Inn, and now we are adding several other major transactions to the list! Longtime motel owner Mike Branca has sold to the Malinowskis of Wildwood, so the Casa Bahama is changing hands. No word yet on whether the Malinowskis have sold or are selling their present rental facility, The Doris Vernon. Bert and Edith Eisl, two of the Crest's most respected business owners, have sold their motel, The Alps, to George and Katherine Jablokow, who have operated the Lotus Apartments for several years. "LUMPING" ALL of the sales activity together, it seems as though many long-term owners are leaving the business. Numerous reasons permeate the real estate arena. Some say the "boom" is over, other blame casino pressure, some cite the political problems, and still others state that many mortgages are being paid off as the years have ticked away. Surprisingly, many business owners blame the unequalled construction of "condos", which has a tendency to afford many one-time vacationers the opportunity to own a part of the shore! Certainly all factors contribute to a degree, and the sales of large motels continues at a fairly rapid pace. Rumors are rampant and substantiation elusive, but it seems the several Wildwood Crest oceanfront motels will be changing hands before Easter. With price tags in the millions of dollars, this is certainly \ noteworthy activity. ( WILL A LOCAL bank < president become the pro- , ud vowner of a North , Wildwood oceanfront, j while that owner moves to ( a large Crest beachfront t property? Will a Surf ( Avenue innkeeper move to N a larger Crest beach block q motel? Will a consortium of investors buy several r family-owned Crest t motels? and ... will the j largest Cape May County j. innkeeper increase his ti holdings? U Stay tuned to this chan- u n e 1 o f t h e n HERALD/LANTERN. We ,] will keep you posted to what may equal "Dynas-

ty" and "Dallas" as far as Big Buck intrigue is concerned! I heard about Bill Gannon's resurrected plans for beach parks. Good idea! With the growing state of the Wildwood beaches, it is about time that people are listening to discussions that would permit more than walking and sitting. Having had the privilege of reviewing the promotional history of the Wildwoods on many an occasion and having discussed it as frequently, one can only hope that city officials view the archives with enthusiasm. If they do, we should be Seeing many other "old" suggestions brought to the forefront. How about color coded beaches for children's safety and orientation, "Tot 4 Tags" for locating children who stray, foot sprinklers, "no-glass" containers on the beach, and trash containers purchased by business owners with a tag mentioning the sponsor All have been on the "talk" agenda for years and many hope to see them move past that point. THE WILDWOOD Crest PTC is planning another of its famed "get-togethers" i for this February. Over the i years, the Wildwood Crest Parent-Teacher Council has become known for its 1 annual 50's dance held at 1 the Hereford Masonic i Lodge, 6300 block of Atlan- ' tic Avenue. Last year, the PTC pass- * ed on hosting the event and I it is good to see it coming 1 back with another trend- f setting theme evening for i the wintery nights in f February. We are keeping v the "theme" of this year's I festivity a "secret" until r nekt week, but be prepared ^ for something unusual. d e IT IS GOOD to see G>ry v off his crutches! Those who know a Gary can only imagine how " difficult and agonizing it 11 must lave been for him to j? forced to ."sit still". d Glad he is doing much bet- u Also heard that f Charles Visalli is doing " well after recent surgery/*-"?1 is very good news. b AlSo on the sick list is Er- a nie Ma oil wraith, owner of the Swan and Casa Nova Motels. Ernie is very simpone of the finest men in . the community and our A thoughts go with him as he § undergoes medical treat- \ ment for an extended 1 " +

In a tourism related vein, Warren Garretson, who has handled the advertising for the three Wildwoods for ages, has recently announced his resignation from Coastline Advertising and has accepted a position in Hammonton. It will be most interesting to see the direction the Tourism department will be taking with Garretson gone. As the account representative who handled the Wildwoods account for Coastline, Garretson was the shaping force behind the cities' promotional efforts since the '60's. Will Coastline, without Garretson, remain the agency of record or will another be selected and who is to choose? Will Wildwood make the choice, or will the two Wildwoods ( North and Crest) who contribute the advertising dollars make the selection? Or will cooperation and communication reign supreme and all three communities provide input into the ■ decision? With inquiries coming into the Department of Tourism at an all-time low, it can safely be anticipated that the Department of Tourism will be appearing in the news with a great deal of frequency in the upcoming weeks. BRIDGES. BRIDGES everywhere, but not a one to cross! The bridge into West Wildwood has been in need of repairs and reinforcement for years— it stays open to limited traffic (10 tons and under). The Thoroughfare seems fine, so they are going to close it in Living on the island does its disadvantages — - and the deteriorating condition of the same. West Wildwood in a "real bind" at the present with the bridge weight limitation at 10 tons. is surprising just how vehicles exceed this limitation - school buses, trucks, and rescue equipment. Frequently over-looked, West Wildwood represents the "Fourth Wildwood" and its only link to the mainland is via the "tinylittle" bridge. Home to 500 people. West Wildwood is a delightful community where everybody knows everybody, and even the tourists who vacation in the ■summer cottages soon become part of the community.

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