Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 5 June '85

65

Bw"S tjJi ^^RniHHHfllHIim^n^^Hk. MISSY'S MISSION — Most people go to Historic Cold Spring Village to see life the way it was in the 19th Century. Missy Alcorn, 9-year-old daughter of Doug and Joy Alcorn of Villas, goes to feed the burro. And he's glad she does.

Chamber Asks Aid from Freeholders

(From Page 1) "We tried PIC (Private Industry Council) help," said Patterson, "and, since I was on the board, I don't like to put them down, but it leaves a lot to be desired. "Most don't have transportation," he added. PATTERSON'S PLEA to the freeholders May 28 brought a long silence, then a comment by Ralph Evans, more to himself than in response, "We have no money." William E. Sturm Jr. then recommended that Herbert (Chuck) Frederick, who heads tourism and public affairs, examine his budget. "I can't guarantee anything," said Frederick. "We increased costs quite substantially for Cold Spring Village," the historic site the county took over ft January. The budget apparently does not include grounds maintenance done by Facilities and Services Department. The county added $47,000 to the village's budget in March, bringing it to a total of $132,000 and lessening the likelihood the tourist attraction will make money this year. Seven part-time seasonal employes went on the payroll May 25 to work at the village as greeters, historical interpreters and printers. Five are paid $5 an hour; two $3.50 an hour. FREDERICK TOLD this newspaper that other "unanticipated" Cold Spring Village expenses included "60,000 brochures, letterhead envelopes," etc. Frederick met last week with Public Affairs Assistant Direct Louis A. Rodia Jr. to discuss the chamber request. Frederick told this newspaper that there is a "possibility" of the county getting $4,650 in state matching funds for its annual fishing tournament, and $1,080 for a historical map it publishes. "We budgeted for the full amount of those projects," said Frederick. "If we can get those monies, perhaps we can work something out. I'm very hopeful we can come up with that money." Frederick said that, in addition to the $3,000 in "membership dues" the county pays the chamber, it also distribute its guidebooks, a $2,258 postage item last year. BOTH FREDERICK and Freeholder Sites Flunk (From Page 1) for the backbays is 200 MPN \ Mo6t Probable Number) . Sea Isle City had two 540 readings and two of greater than 2,400, the highest measurable number. Stone Harbor also had one higher than 2,400. at the Stone Harbor Manor lagoon, plus a 926, three 5406, a 350 and a 240. Avalon and North Wildwood each had two moderately high readings. THE DEPARTMENT is supposed to check 92 fcackbay sites weekly, but didn't do Ocean City, at the beginning of its rim, or Wildwood, at the end, because the Memorial Day weekend gave it one less work day. Lamanna said Ocean City is considered a "nonrisk area." The ocean waters, where the state water quality standard is 50 MPN, had generally good results, although there were a halfdozen sites (of a total of 45) with too-high counts. Lamanna said be was "not concerned" ably were the result of the rain runoff"^

Director Gerald M. Thornton referred questions on the specifics of having money available to Sturm, director of Revenue and Finance. "In the event those matching funds come through," he said, "that would free up that money for the chamber, if it was the will of the Board of Freeholders to do that "Apparently from the tone of the board," he added, "it looks favorably on helping them." In response to questions, Sturm said it is illegal until Nov. 1 for the county to transfer money from other accounts to the chamber. But, he said, there are two accounts from which the freeholders could, if they found additional money, contribute to the chamber: the freeholders "other expense" account, budgeted at $216,000, and public affairs or special advertising, $202,000. But the budget situation in those accounts, he said, probably won't be clear until August or September. THE CHAMBER took in $126,000 last year and "with hopes and prayers," according to Patterson, budgeted for $134,000 this year. The biggest income item is dues, projected at $78,000. So far they've totaled $32,000, but that is not unusual, Patterson said, since bills are sent quarterly and the July billing is the largest. The chamber operates on an Oct. 1-Sept. 30 fiscal year. The chamber anticipated $8,000 from new members and has received $2,000 so far. It also expected to make $15,000 at Seaville, $5,000 from projects, $4,000 from miscellaneous sales, $6,000 from guidebooks, and $7,000 from luncheon meetings, an "in and out" item, Patterson explained. PATTERSON TOLD this newspaper that the chamber office stays open seven a days a week for "just about six months," from Easter to mid-October, and is having difficulty finding people to work for $3.50 an hour. He told freeholders the chamber had a record day on Saturday, May 25, with 670 persons registering in its office. "Many extra programs have been put on," said Patterson. "We have raised our dues, but we can't keep up with inflation and the rising cost of doing business." County support for the chamber used to include space in the old courthouse. It currently leases the chamber the ground for its building on the parkway at Crest Haven Road for $1 a year. THE COUNTY GAVE the chamber $5,000 in 1981, $7,500 and 1982, and then cut it to $3,000 in 1983, 1984 and 1985, Patterson said. "We have been trying for a couple years, with letters and phone calls, to get it restored to $7,500," Patterson said. "But we got nowhere." Thornton said the chamber was reduced in a "tight" budget year when it was necessary to "look at agencies that are not essential services. But I want to emphasize that, overall, we are very supportive with our promotional aspects for business and tourism." The county has a $46-million budget. Moments after the chamber delegation departed last week's freeholder meeting, the weekly treasurer's report on investments was read. It listed just under $31 million in Certificates of Deposit in local financial institutions.

— Crime in Cape May County The number of victims per 1,000 people ( crime rate) appears before the total number of annual offenses (crime index) for each county municipality and the county itself over the past five years.

Area Avalon Cape May Cape May Pt. Dennis Twp. Lower Twp. Middle Twp. N. Wildwood Ocean City Sea Isle City Stone Harbor Upper Twp. W. Cape May W. Wildwood Wildwood Wildwood Cst. Woodbine County

1984 72.1/161 52.7/271 46.9/13 16.4/70 43.2/789 48.4/590 129.3/620 105.2/1,555 86.6/254 145.6/183 28.7/217 37.4/44 67.2/26 337.2/1,641 55.2/229 45.3/122 78/6,785

1983 74.4/161 72.1/370 40.1/11 20.3/88 49.7/888 67.5/792 122.3/595 90.1/1,327 119.9/349 125.2/161 30.3/221 7.5/9 75/27 3: :. 1/1.566 ">4.3/231 19.4/134 .6/6,933

1982 101/229 56.2/280 60.4/16 21.1/89 50.8/892 828 /962 147.9/709 105.5/1,502 116.5/318 121.5/146 26.8/193 10.8/12 38.9/14 326.1/1.576 2 58.1/244 40.4/111 86.5/7,293

1981 111.9/242 48.2/243 36.3/145 54/924 87.4/994 143.6/667 96.8/1,350 107/283 183.7/218 34.1/229 27.5/30 36.1/13 72.5/301 52.3/147 86.8/7,137

1980 112.7/247 61.8/299 40.2/160 53.1/905 67.7/772 133.6/627 91.3/1,269 97/259 215.6/254 30.5/204 10.1/11 69.3/23 309.9/1,497 62.4/260 36.2/102 83.9/6,889

Lead County in Crime—

(From Page 1) peak summer weekend day. Except for Middle Township, which usually appears in the center of the municipal crime rate lists, mainland municipalities consistanUy fall in the lower half. Three of them (Woodbine, Upper and Dennis townships) have no police forces; they're patrolled by state police from Port Norris, Cumberland County. Shown in the accompanying chart are municipal crime rates (the number of victims per 1,000 residents), followed by the crime index (total number of yearly offenses) over the past five years and the related county and state figures. UCR crime rates are based on resident populations projected yearly from the 1980 census. Those figures are underestimated,however. The UCR, for example, lists the county's resident population last year at 86,978 while figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau in late April place that population at 89,100. CRIME RATES FOR county municipalities, therefore, are distorted slightly by the underestimated resident populations and more dramatically by the summer population of vacationeers which is not considered in the UCR. Numbers and types of crimes in each municipality, and whether they have increased or decreased between 1983-1984, are summarized below (arsons not counted) and compared to related countywide and statewide crime rates (the total of 1984 crimes appears in parenthesis before the 1983 total). Avalon (161-173) — two rapes, two aggravated assaults, 21 burglaries, 133 larcenies, three auto thefts. Cape May (271-370) — one rape, three aggravated assaults, 54 burglaries, 206 larcenies and seven auto thefts. Cape May Point (13-11) — one burglary, 11 larcenies and one auto theft. Dennis Township (70-88) — two rapes, two robberies, six aggravated assaults, 25 burglaries, 29 larcenies, six auto thefts and four arsons. Lower Township (789-888) — five rapes, five robberies, 20 aggravated assaults, 268 burglaries, 466 larcenies, 25 auto thefts and three arsons. Middle Township (590-792) — four rapes, three robberies, 13 aggravated assaults, 175 burglaries, 384 larcenies, 11 auto thefts and one arson. North Wildwood (620-595) five rapes, six robberies, seven aggravated assaults, 127 burglaries, 447 larcenies, 28 auto thefts and four arsons. Ocean City (1,555-1,327) — one murder, one rape, four robberies, 12 aggravated assaults, 367 burglaries, 1,144 larcenies, 26 auto thefts and five arsons. Sea Isle City (254-340) — one robbery, eight aggravated assaults, 79 burglaries, 158 larcenies, eight auto thefts and one arson. Stone Harbor (183-161) — one aggravated assault, 30 burglaries, 149 larcenies, three auto thefts and one arson. Upper Township (217-221) two rapes, two robberies, six aggravated assaults, 107 burglaries, 84 larcenies, 16 auto thefts and two arsons. West Cape May (44-9) — one rape, one robbery, two aggravated assaults, 22 burglaries, 17 larcenies and one auto theft. West WUdwood (26-27) — one rape, one aggravated assault, eight burglaries, 15 larcenies and one auto theft.

Wildwood ( 1,641-1,566) — one murder. 13 rapes, 42 robberies, 62 aggravated assaults, 564 burglaries, 913 larcenies, 46 auto thefts and three arsons. Wildwood Crest (229-231) — three rapes, one robbery, 37 burglaries, 184 larcenies, four auto thefts and two arsons. Woodbine ( 122-134) — one rape, one robbery, seven aggravated assaults, 51 burglaries, 58 larcenies, four auto thefts and two arsons. Cape May County (6,785-6,933) — two murders, 41 rapes, 68 robberies, 150 aggravated assaults, 1,936 burglaries, 4,398 larcenies, 190 autc thefts and 29 arsons. New Jersey — 402 murders, 2,439 rapes, 18,217 robberies, 18,557 aggravated assaults, 78,849 burglaries, 201,807 larcenies, 43,127 auto thefts, and 2,881 arsons. Although state crime figures show an overall decrease of three percent between 1975-1984, they show a 31 percent increase in violent crimes during that period in- , eluding a 76 percent increase in rapes and 54 percent rise in aggravated assaults. Also on the rise statewide are child and wife abuse cases. UCR figures show a 43 percent increase in the number of state cases between 1983-1984, from 24,477-35,050 As reported in this paper only two months ago, Cape May County posted a 54 percent increase in domestic violence offenses between 1963-1984, from 363-559. Nix Offer (From Page l) Childers said that was "a damn good vote." THE PROPOSED contract would have ended longevity for employes hired after the execution of the contract. Longevity amounts to 2 percent a year for every five years' service up through 12 percent for 30 years and 14 percent for 40 years and over. Elimination of that benefit eventually would save the county several hundred thousand dollars a year, its officials have said. Childers said employes feared that new, noncovered employers, eventually would have negctiated away that benefit, since it didn't affect them. As for the bonus money not being included in the base pay, that county proposal reportedly confused many. As an example, a person at the eighth (and top) step would have received a 2 percent pay hike in 1985 and plus $350, 2 percent plus $550 in 1986, and 2 percent plus $750 in 1987. But only the third year's bonus would have gone into raising the base pay. GUILDERS SAID some employes also objected to a proposal to increase to $3 and $1 the co-pay under the Prescription Insurance Plan. Childers said he was anxious to "feo back into negotiations and put the pieces together." But he said he understood the county had filed with PERC (Public Employe Relations Commission) for appointment of an arbiter. ' "We maintain we are not at an impasse," said Childer, "and we would like to sit down again with the county." PEPPER SAID the county has "communicated" with PERC "and asked them to stand ready to send a mediator... to assist us in reaching a final agreement."