Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 7 August '85 27

' '0". * # The Wildwoods • ^ k - * =. X ^ ^ Thomas Parsons # A

The dates for the Depart ment of Transportation hearings concerning the reconstruction of North Wildwood Blvd. have been set. Mark your calender! Aug 28 and 29. Two hearings have been set on each of the days. The afternoon session will be held on each of the days from 1 to 5:30 p.m. and the evening session will be from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. The site for the hearings will be the Middle Township Elementary School For those of you who mayhave missed discussions of the hearings in previous columns. I'll do it again (in a 'nutshell'' » The DOT will be holding hearings on the stated days to assess public support and listen to public ' input concerning the reconstruction of North Wildwood Boulevard from the Parkway into North Wildwood. THIS QUESTION has been bantered about for so many year that in some cases the children of the people who led the fight years ago will be spearheading the issue this time around! That certainly is a sad commentary on the speed with which the state acts in South Jersey Hopefully, such overwhelming support will be witnessed at the hearings that the project will become a reality. The leaders of the two affected municipalities. Mike Voll. Mayor of Middle, and Lou Vinci. Mayor of North Wildwood. are calling for their constituencies to attend the meetings and voice their favorable opinion. Plan on doing so. because the alternative is to be shackled to an inadequate road for years. I KNOW I said "inade--quale" and I realize that is — — x an unfteptatement ! It is de plorabie North Wildwood Boulevard is an embarrassment to our fine Island and remains a hazard to residents and tourists alike. It needs to be reconstructed before the costs become so astronomical that it would be cheaper to "move" the Island across the backwaters to abut the Parkway Many years ago, I can remember the state "kicking around" figures in excess of $10 million for the total reconstruction effort. Ten years ago. I was living in North Wildwood and was somewhat involved with the issue. At that time, the state was saying that thorough planning and studies were necessary as it was a $15 million project. AS THE 1980'S fell upon us. North Wildwood Boulevard was in equally aging status. The reconstruction of the "Shabby way" had * then become a $30 million dollar project. Now it is the mid-1980 s, the road is worse and the costs are roughly pegged at $80-$100 million. Egads! No wonder the state has very few dollars for the promotion of tourism. As a result of procrastination. they use the tourism funds for building roads when they become prohibitively expensive Let's give our good Governor a helping hand and support the North Wildwood Boulevard construction before it becomes a terminal drain on the state treasury Besides, we don't want OUR children to have to attend meetings to discuss the bil-

lion-dollar reconstruction of North Wildwood Boulevard. As I have said before, this is not a strictly North Wildwood issue. It remains an Island issue. Five Mile Beach is not so big that a project of this magnitude won't impact upon us all. so "Crestians". "Wildwoodians". and "Westwoodians" show some support and plan to attend the hearings in late August. NO MORE calls please! I did not infer that candidate Stile was angry about some thing and was "stamping" the street I meant and typed "STOMPING" the streets. It is a standard colloquialism found in the vernacular of any politico worth his/her salt I do agree that "stamping the streets" carries an entirelydifferent visual image to the public. Sorry! Unfortunately, somewhere out there is a typesetter. determined to keep me in hot water WEEKLY. I know it's a "lame" excuse, but honestly it's true in this instance. I have found tha» politics along Five Mile Beach is a serious matter. VERY! So serious in fact, that I usually double check any comment 1 may make regarding the same. So I knew I was "in for it" when I saw "stamping" appear in, the column. IT'S STRANGE ( I think ) but I receive quite a bit of comment about this weeklycolumn. Some good, some matter-of-fact, and some bad. Without exception, every bad comment has come from a politically involved person concerning something I said with '•political' undertones, whatever that is I've been accused of penning a blatant politican column with selfserving designs. I even received a letter telling me to "knock off the vitriolic diatribe" (eleoquent phrase, but I knew at once it wasn't a compliment. > After a year of writing this weekly commentary. I remain certain of two things: (1) Everything has political undertones and (2) I will undoubtedly receive some critical comment about this last paragraph. Unfortunate, I suppose TO PUT THIS matter to rest ...I apologize to George Stile (he wasn't among the ones who called) for the "typo". No. this is not a selfserving political column, as any involvement I have ever had with politics has been one riddled with grief and I am not a glutton for punishment. And, finally, to the gentleman who called from West Wildwood. I am not the most recent graduate of the "Joe Zelnik School of Political Wisecracking" although I do take the ques tion as a compliment. ON TO LESS controversial subjects. The MUA is rapidly moving into the more formative stages of its work at the old "fish factory" along Rio Grande Boulevard. For several weeks, the heavy equipment has been leveling the strucI ture in preparation for the treatment plant I As I drove by the other day. the only remaining 1 structure of merit was the I smokestack, which stood strikingly alone against the

sunset. The image is probably- painfully- ironic for some. Nonetheless the project is moving along at a hrisk pace and none too soon for those of us who harbor a sensitivity for the environment. While the construction and hook-up for the newsystem are costly, and unquestionably the increased sewerage costs for. each business and residence w ill be felt, the project is well worth the price. THE BACK-BAY waters along Five Mile Beach are in dire need of rejuvenation The pumping of the treated waste into the ocean, the vastness of which can handle the effluent, is a much more preferable option and is a great step forward towards cleaning up the marshes and estuaries Just a brief review of the water pollution levels will prove the point Where the system is already in operation the back bays are beginning to cleanse themselves. By the way. if you haven't noticed. the HERALD/LANTERN prints the weekly monitoring in each issue as a public service. Avail yourselves of the info With very little foresight, one can envision an entirely pew recreational/tourism industry developing once the back bays are conducive to the activity For the Wildwoods. this is an excellent development and the extra dimension to vacation ing in the Wildwoods maypresent itself. LET ME mention again the upcoming Greaseband j concert to be sponsored by the Wildwood Catholic ' Parents' Guild. The "fall reunion" fundraiser featuring the Greaseband will be held at Wildwood Convention Hall 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Oct. 18. Tickets are available at various locations and a quick call to Wildwood Catholic High School will yield you a complete listing. If you are a Greaseband aficionado. you know that the concert/dance tickets are always gone long before the event. Don't wait. Call today and plan to attend Its a good cause I must send a belated Happy Birthday to Kristin Visa III. This young lady, one of my best "little friends", turned 6 in July Kristin is the daughter of Pat and Margaret Visalli of Wildwood Crest. I don't know how the date slipped my mind as it is the same day as my wife's. July 28. So. belated best wishes to Kristin on her 6th and to my wife on another one i age not necessary, but suffice it to say. she is older than I>. THE GREATER Wildwood T-Ball season has come to an end with the final round of games played Aug 4. A sincere note of appreciation should be extended to the eight businesses that sponsored a team this year: Bal Harbour Motor Inn. Topaz Motel. Cassiello Construction. Calloway Realty . H.N Hand Realty. Shou! News. Stokes Linen, and the Stardust Motel. Without their financial assistance through sponsor I ship 120 children would have > < Page 26 Please >

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