opinion

Golden Edge 'Vigilaunties 9 Who Care

By DOROTHEA F. COOPER A column begins with a germ of an idea that is mulled over and over in the mind until it finally becomes a thing of shape and substance. Many times I do my mulling hours after I have gone to bed. assumed my usual comfortable fetal position, prepared for a good night 's sleep, only to awake suddenly struck by that column germ which starts the pattern, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph until I feel compulsion to rush immediately to my trusty old Royal and put it on paper. There goes sleep. SOME WRITERS have been known, when inspiration strikes, no matter what the hour of night or early morning. to leap out of bed. dash to their machines and tack, tack, tack away line by noisy line and clanging margin bell, until their deathless prose becomes a reality. • But alas, that isn't possible in my case. Aside from - disturbing a quietly (sometimes) sleeping husband, there are other factors. Our neighborhood, even in the summertime, is comparatively quiet, except for occasional two-or-three-o'clock-in-the-morning vactioners who. returning • from their nightly gaiety, park their cars, bang two or three doors to make sure they are really closed, then stand at the curb and have long and loud conversations (sometimes it's really juicy stuff! > which waft their way into wide-open bedroom windows a few feet away.

NOTWlhiG- sue CEE06 LIKE FAILURE IN THE WINTER, however, after eleven o'clock or so at night should a cat step gingerly over a lawn, the sound reverberates like the passage of the thundering herd. The sound pf a typewriter would cause the lights to come on up and down the street. So I must bide my time until a decent and un-disturbing time to be creative. The neighbors in our block (and we, of course) are kind, thoughtful, helpful people. We guard each other and our homes with a fraternal warmth. Many of us have keys to each other's houses. If anyone is out of town for more than a few days, when requested we take in the mail, water (Page 71 Please)

Lookin' and Listenin' Romney Marsh to Court House

By DOROTHY I). ERE AS Listening to a friend remark that she'd run over to Court House after lunch, the words made those few miles seem like next door. Not in the early days It would have taken some planning to get there and back Large areas, called plantations, were being bought by the men of Town Bank when the w haling industry began to decrease Shortly before 1700. Shamgar Hand bought 700 acres, and called it "Romney Marsh Plantation." after a village in Kent. England Court cases and legal matters idecd recording ect.i often went to Salem or Burlington, but some early cases were heard in private homes or public buildings The Baptist Church, oldest in the country, situated where Route 47 now passes through Rio Grande near the parkway, was used for court procedures after the Baptist congregation built a new church in 174! in Middletown. now called Cape May Court House Many settlers took a holiday whenever court was in session They gathered to talk to friends from other sections of the country- It was a festive occasion for everyone except, of course, the one in trouble in the court house After this building aged and also became inadequate, a nOw jail and court house were built in Middletown in the 1760 s. and used for almost 75 years During this time, in 1764. as war days neared. a tavern was built nearby. It was a popular meeting-place for young rebels, an old tale, from a dependable source, tells of a young Loyalist who came to stay at the tavern, lodg- . ing there about 1777. One evening he made a grave error by proposing a toast "to the King." " SHORTLY THEREAFTER, he disappeared, and no one knew w here or -w hen There are still no facts - except one Years later, the tavern was being reconstructed and \ HrraliAv LaNTERnI) S "» "" s— — - Corpor.ik- ' P.O. B«« 430 Cap* M«V Coon Ho«— . N.J 08210 Joseph R. Zelnik Editor Bonnie Reina General Manager Gary L. Rudy Advertising Director John Dunwoodv Special Promotions Director Parrel! Kopp _ Publisher DEADLINES News & Photos Thursday Advertising Fridav - 3 P.M. Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 For News or Advertising Information ^l" u' k^TTr.TT-'l1" <k>*M " o II «\|» I. «>T> H> I I J J f CAPE MAY «L| t Werali-lJtspatttf I i V Publlihad Every WWnc»«J«v By Th« Scawav* Corporation , ^^^__P.O Boa 430 Cap# May Cowrt How. N.J 0MI0 y

in the cellar, human bones were found, unidentified to this day. The year 1848 brought a decision. By way of a special election. Goshen. Dennsivilie or Middletown would be chosen as the county seat. The present county seat then changed its name to Court House, having won by less than 100 votes over Dennisville. By 1850, the building known at present as the "Old Court House" was being used. When you "run over to Court House", remember these people who lived there so many years ago. as you move along the streets through the Romney Marsh Plantation.

Our Readers Write Right a Wrong 100 Years Late To The Editor: It is with a big or reluctance that I write this, but in defense of all American Legion Auxiliary units all over the world I feel I must. . One of the great principlesr of the Legion and its Auxiliary is a very broad Americanism Program started not too long after the Frist World War. We have all learned the great doctrines. We promote programs, sponsor both Girls' and Boys' State. We vote and encourage everyone to vote his conscience. We are not just flag wavers. We practice what we preach every day. We all know flag etiquette and try to help others to learn and practice. THIS ALL STARTED over a loyal Legion Auxiliaraire speaking out — not only for Americans but for Law and Order. We all have the book of flag etiquette and we know when Congress passed the Law that only the President, or in some instances the Governor, has the right to lower the flag to half mast, for whom and when, also how long. No one was taking anything away from the lady who tried to denigrate our organization and those of who have been members for 40 years and in some cases 65 years. We are all dedicated to the welfare of our country, our veterans and their Lmilies. What more do we need than a military funeral, receiving the casket flag, a headstone and some money for burial? The issue was not against one man but to the county breaking the rules as set by Congress. WE REALIZE this has been going on for years, but shouldn't we stop it before we inadvertently look the other way when another rule is broken? I agree with the lady who gave her husband s background, but there wouldn't be enough paper to go around if we all told of our war problems, the aftermath and what it is to be disabled for 40 years. I am sorry this woman feels as she does about a fine organization, but I wouldn't write against a group that is only trying to right a wrong — even if it is 100 years late. This was read and discussed at our final county meeting and as Secretary to the county, I am obliged to let you know how we feel. I served on Americanism for 18 years, as department chairman in 1973 and Eastern Division chairman in 1976. GLADYS E. PIERSON Executive Committee American Legion Auxiliary Wildwood Do you have an opinion on this subject? Write a letter to the editor. P.O. Box 430. Cape May Court House N J 08210

-And Dog Rides — Toot Toots Will Have to Go

By JOE ZELNIK Second to Richard Nixon's resignation. I've never been more impressed with the power of the news media than in the aftermath of last week's AZOGG column. First, the American Society for the Salvation of the Mechanically Inept ( ASSMI) rushed emergency aid in the form of Frank Ayres of the Francis Ayres Stove Shop in Court House ( plug ) . Ayres' mission assemble my outside gas grill, which he did for a mere pittance. I am now happily hotdogging it every night, without adding to the overflowing coffers of Atlantic Electric. I DO DREAD the eventual need to disconnect and refill the tank, since it has a fitting with a left-hand thread, and I am right-handed But providence will provide. At the risk of boring you. there is an aside to Ayres' labors. I took him my 100 parts and 34 hardware items and. many hours later, realized I forgot to include the 20-step instructions. In a panic. I called to arrange to get them to him "It's all put together." he said. In other words, this mere mortal not only assembled the grill, but he did it without the instructions. AN EQUALLY important result of that AZOGG column was a tentative offer from the county, impressed with my concern for safety, to head a new Department of Safety. A firm commitment depends on how many full-time patronage jobs I can justify. I envision a couple entry-level positions to handle a 24-hour safety hotline, receiving reports of safety hazards. These people will be called "intake and referral." a fancyphrase that means they'll listen and then tell the complainant to call somebody else who will repeat the procedure Some people call this passing the buck. MY FIRST PRIORITY will be two highway safety projects. The first is the serious problem of women in short shorts bending over and crabbing from the north side of. the Scotch Bonnet Bridge on Stone Harbor Boulevard. That's a 22-foot -wide bridge, instead of the normal 28. and if oncoming drivers happen to sneak a peak simultaneous- i ly. disaster looms/ | I'm in consultation with the Revs. Fincke about a dress | code as one solution. But even their suggestion to require I

granny skirts could be wiped out by one gust of wind. The unimaginative would suggest a new $4-miIIion bridge. I suppose. My alternative is a $100,000 metal shield that would block the crabbers from the motorists. Plus 1'2 percent for an original work of art to be attached, of course. DOGS ARE the second traffic problem. As previouslyreported, the county has 4,763 year-round (seasonal not included). Eighty-six percent of the owngrs take their dogs for daily auto rides, and my surve^fshow they travel about 15 miles an hour slower than the normal traffic flow, so their pets won't get bugs in their eyes. This not only hurts the veterinary business, but slow drivers cause normal drivers to take unnecessary risks. Legislation banning dog rides may be the only answer. There is a serious safety problem due to age group mixing on local dance floors. Young people go to places catering to senior citizens, "pop" too fast and send their elders sprawling. On the other hand, one couple in their 70s doing the Pennsylvania Polka can absolutely destroy a dance floor filled with 21-year-olds doing whatever it is 21-year-olds do. This is primarily a tourist problem and probably can be handled by requiring all incoming tourists to sign a pledge to stick with their own ages. THERE ALSO IS a drawbridge safety problem. Boaters are supposed to signal for a bridge opening with a prolonged, 4-6-second toooooooooot followed by one short toot. If drawtenders can't raise the bridge, they are supposed to reply toot. toot, toot, toot, toot. Vacationing boaters, however, are often on a toot, and improper toots result. This rattles the drawtenders who respond with an equally incorrect toot. Chaos results. The answer is to ban toots and require marine radios. See radio ad elsewhere in this issue. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not address a safety problem for which this newspaper bears some responsibility. Anxious readers are picking up our paper in shopping centers or supermarkets and reading it as they travel the aisles. There has been a mind-boggling increase in painful shopping cart collisions. We will have to insist that people reading this newspaper remain stationary at all times.