Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 11 September '85 65

SJR T to Feature Comedy In '85-86

SOMERS POINT - With a full summer of audience development and fundraising activities behind it. South Jersey Regional Theatre is beginning its period of p re-season staff interviews and New York Equity auditions that will lead to the designers, technicians, directors, and casts for its 1985-86 season - its ninth - at the Gateway Playhouse here. According to SJRT Executive Director Paul Aiken, season subscriptions are running close to 30 percent ahead of last season, with an anticipated 3,000 total season subscribers for the coming year. OUR SEASON ticket holders now come from over 80 South Jersey communities covering all eight of the southern counties," stated Aiken recently. "It has taken a while, but we are now truly the regional professional theatre for all of southern New Jersey."

SJRT will kick off its 1985-86 season with the hilarious spoof of the French bedroom face, Pajama Tops, which opens Nov. 5. This comedy ran three years in Paris and five in Hollywood before its smash run on Broadway in the 1960s. ANOTHER STYLE of comedy will be presented by the theatre for its second season production. The Lion in Winter, a brilliant play that chronicles the story of England's King Henry II, his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the rivalry of their three sons, Richard, Geoffry, and John, for the future crown of England. Set in 12th Century France, this is high comedy that glitters with in- . telligence and wit. Still another comedy, this one by Christopher Durang ("Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You") entitled Beyond

Therapy will be third production in SJRT's season line-up. Again stylistically different from the first two comedies, Beyond Therapy has been called "a classical screwball comedy for the 80s." THE SJRT season will take a turn away from comedy in staging Athol Fugard's emotionally riveting Master Harold ... and the boys as its fourth production. This powerful play, which takes place in South Africa, captured three Tony Awards including "Best Play of the Season" during its New Ypr^^in in 1983. Closing out the season will be a full-scale musical comedy by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt I Do. I Do add the Fantasticks entitled f 110 In The Shade". The story is based on N. Richard Nash's play The Rainmaker. "We're looking forward to a really wonderful season of theatre here at m r , __ _ kimw VII will uoja ol.U»lura.

SJRT," stated Aiken. "Our state-wide reputation and reputation with the New York acting community has never been higher. So far this season we have received over 3,000 professional acting resumes to chose from." Season subscriptions are now on sale at the SJRT box office, or can be purchased by phone by calling 653-0553. ilk £ % American Heart Association WFRF FIGHTING FOR I vQURtlFF

Festival Activities Stress Education

STONE HARBOR - Environmental education for children of all ages is a main concern of the Wetlands institute, and several educational experiences will be featured during the Third Annual New Jersey Wings 'n Water Festival Sept. 21 and 22. The main tent outside the Institute, on Stone Harbor Boulevard, will house the environmental exhibits. Representatives from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Marine Science Consortium, Avaian Rehabilitation Center, New Jersey Wildfowlers and others will be on hand all day Saturday and Sunday to answer questions and tell about their work and organizations. Included will be live birds, audiovisual programs, and educational materials from each group. GUIDED nature walks at specific times on both days

will provide an opportunity to lean about the different habitats in the coastal area. Local naturalists and scientists will guide these walks at Stone Harbor Point, the marshes at the Wetlands Institute, and the Avalon Dunes at 50th and Dune Drive. Fall is an especially beautiful time of year, with many marsh and beach flowers in full bloom, and guides will point out the local flora and fauna as well as answer questions. Times for these walks are listed in the festival program. CHILDREN'S activities will abound at the institute, with fiddler crab races, touch tanks, kite making workshops and flying contests, fish printing, arts and crafts, and scavenger hunts. Prizes will be awarded for certain activities.

Nursing Home Still on Hold *

(From Page 1) At that time, testifying under oath, Hospicomm attorney Norman Zlotnick said that was "a DEP requirement." a position echoed by Miller after the meeting. But in the telephone interview, Miller said, "I assume DEP requires a licensed plant operator." HE SAID THE POINT was not crucial since Hospicomm's application included a proposed contract with the company that will be responsible for "delivering, supervising, erecting, guaranteeing the performance and supplying us with a licensed operator." Hospicomm's sewage problems were apparent even before it purchased its 2.5-acre site in the fall of 1983, under the impression it could connect to the Middle Township Sewage Treatment plant. Later told that was impossible, it first designed a 12,000-gallon septic system that received local and DEP approvals until a citizen protest prompted a second look and a requirement for a redesign that would handle 18,000 gallons. But the neighborhood association formed to sue both DEP and Hospicomm in an effort to keep all effluent out of Romney Marsh, which drains into Crooked Creek in the center of town. HOSPICOMM THEN came up with its latest answer, "advanced wastewater treatment and subsurface disposal facilities" that would be an interim measure until the MUA's Seven-Mile Beach/Middle regional sewage treatment plant opens in June of 1987. The neighborhood association has praised the proposed system, but says association geohydrologist, David Blackmore of •Royersford, Pa., has two "reservations:" • An inadequate survey to determine needed waste water capacity. • No guarantee the plant operator would be adequately trained. Hospicomm officials gave verbal assurance on both points at the committee's work session Sept. 4 and two of the three municipal officials, Mayor Michael Voll and Committeeman James Alexis, appeared ready to vote the next night for a resolution wprded the way they, not Hospicomm, wanted. COMMITTEEMAN Charles Leusner, a candidate for reelecton this fall, made it clear he would vote "no" no matter what it said. The original DEP-prepared resolution submitted by township Solicitor Bruce Gorman said that the proposed sewage treatment plant "conformed with the requirements of all municipal ordinances" and the committee "approves the project as proposed..." lire committee instructed Gorman to rewrite the resolution so as to include the ordinances, but omit any "approval." Zlotnick argued in vain against that action, saying that similar resolutions had been approved both by the county's MUA and Planning Board. Zlotnick said that "the words 'approves the project' refer to local ordinances." "That's not what it (the resolution)

says," said Gorman. " 'Approves' opens a Pandora's box." ZLOTNICK THEN ASKED the resoluc tion be passed as written, but "add a letter i expressing your concerns. I think we're s getting hung up on that word 'approve.' " Neighborhood association spokesman r Karl Faust said that "Everything Mr. Zlot1 nick says is true. There is no question the system will do the job." But, Faust said, 1 the association felt the plant's i 8,000-gallons-per-day design capacity was t "not large enough." He said that was "a detail that can be worked out." Faust said "a greater problem" was I "having someone run this that really knows how to do it. Other nursing homes have had serious problems because i maintenance personnel are not adequately s trained." ! "Doesn't it need a licensed operator?" asked Alexis. "It does, " said Faust, "and one especially trained. "We've spent $18,000 so far for something that shouldn't have gone through the DEP in the first place," he adI ded. They (Hospicomm) are not our real adversaries. I feel sorry for 'em. The blunders started here. But must the people dig into their pockets and get the expertise to overcome a real problem?" "IT GOES BACK to the county Health Department," said Gorman. "Manners of this ilk are reviewed by Health. We need an expert witness. Lou Lamanna (county Health Officer) and Clay Sutton (Environmental Program Administrator) said time and time there was no problem." "We have only been interested in one | thing," said Faust, "not putting a septic I system in Romney Marsh. That is no place i for it. There is already a problem across the street. Draft the resolution minus the approval and let DEP complain ." Alexis said to Zlotnick, "Mr. Faust in- « dicates you are not required to have a ^ licensed operator?" < "It's almost all automatic and simple to operate," said Zlotnick. i "I'VE PURCHASED a tertiary treat- i ment plant," said Alexis, former owner of the Garden Lake Mobile Homd^ Park in I Burleigh, "and I feel you need a licensed t operator. I've sat through this proposal from damn near day-one. I've been made J out a fool two or three times — and you g won't do it again. I want to know what r license is required to operate that plant." I "That is part of the DEP requirement," said Zlotnick. r "Are there any guarantees?" asked Faust. t "Not once it's up," said Gorman. i: "The integrity of the people operating ii it," said Alexis. r "We've heard all this before, $18,000 t ago," said Fred DeSantis of the associa- a tiom"DEP is why we're here, and you're telling us to go by their standards." d "This system takes care of all problems," said Zlotnick. "We don't want to E spend any more money." j GORMAN POLLED township Borough p Engineer A1 Herman, Zoning Officer Carol s Nicoletta and Township Clerk George Sim- u pkins on whether the plant conformed with a municipal ordinances. Each said it did. k

"The second part (approval ) is up to you fellows," Gorman told the Committee. "In view of the controversy and criticism," said Alexis, "we are not in a position to leave in the second portion. We do not know if this project will work. I'd like that (approval) stricken." "I have more questions than answers," said Leusner. "I haven't seen an environmental impact statement. I have no proof except these gentlemen's words. There is no straight answer on the capacity of the plant. I am prepared to vote 'no'." "The DEP requires a licensed operator," persisted Zlotnick. "You are bringing in extraneous considerations." "I GO ALONG with Jim," said Voll. "Scratch the second portion. "It's a Catch-22 situation," said Alexis. "L«t's develop our own resolution." "The MUA approval included a covering letter," said Zlotnick. "You are not approving its technical adequacy " "I'm not going to endorse until the resolution suits my fancy," said Alexis. "Perahps you'd like to caucus for 30 minutes?" asked Zlotnick. "We're not going into closed session," said Alexis. "There are no grounds," agreed Gorman. TO ZLOTNICK, Gorman said, "There are two small points of contention. Why don't you solve those two problems In 27 hours this body will reconvene." "We can't solve 'em in 27 hours," answered Zlotnick. The mayor instructed Gorman to a new resolution which, he did, in fact, read to the committee's regular meeting 27 hours later, shortly after 8 Thursday night. No one from Hospicomm was present. The resolution certified that "it would appear that the applicant has conformed with the requirements of all municipal ordinances," but added that, the committee, "makes no determination with regard to the technical adequacy of the project and no way 'approves' same." "I STILL CAN'T go for it," said "I feel we are removing a hurdle they need to go ahead. " Alexis, calling the nursing home "a $4-million ratable in a location I feel is good for that type of facility," appeared ready to move the question, which would given Voll the deciding vote. Then neighborhood association chairman John Beilel spoke. "We favor the home as a viable operation," he said. "But this proposal is not goto work. You cannot put 11,000 gallons an 8,000-gallon tank. It will not work no matter what Hospicomm says. There has to be a way to tell DEP they have to put in 12,000-gallon treatment plant." "They told us yesterday they were for 12,000," said Alexis. "THE APPLICATION says 8,000," said "We owe that man (Blackmore) and he tells us it won't work. If you this, we will end up in court again and spend another $5,000. You have to protect in this. Put in the resolution we demand larger system. Try to work it with that of stipulation."

"We heard yesterday they plan 12,000 gallons," said Faust. "This is verbal. I know you are just as concerned as I am with these people where verbal is concerned." "I agree." said Voll. "They lied to us and made fools of us in May. I'm not going to let it happen again. We should see the application before we go any further." "All right," said Alexis. "I move we table it until we get a copy of the application certifying 12,000 gallons per day. If it doesn't open, it doesn't open." Going To Court DIAMOND BEACH — Lower Township will sue DiDonato Construction to get a condominium wall removed from the municipal right-of-way on Raleigh Avenue, Township Solicitor Bruce Gorman confirmed Monday afternoon. Lower Manager James R. Stump said last week that DiDonato didn't respond within 10 days to the township's Aug. 21 order to remove the wall. Pushing Rehab Bucks VILLAS — Lower Township Manager James R. Stump has applied for two grants from the stale Department of Community Affairs, he reported last week. If approved, a $100,000 grant would finance rehabilitation of single-family rental homes, he said, while a $5,000 grant would underwrite planning costs for the proposed Villas revitalization. Last month, Stump applied for a $350,000 Community Development Block Grant to renovate owner-occupied homes here between Bayshore Road, Greenwood, Star, Bates and Caroline Avenues. Plans for overhauling the Villas business district are also underway. 'Day by Day' TOWN BANK — Contractor Dick Shaw began dredging Cox Hall Creek as ( planned last week and will continue "day by day" until the stream and its tributaries are sufficiently cleared of vegetation to reduce stagnation, according to Township Manager James R. Stump. As executive director of the township MUA which authorized the dredging, Stump said Friday that Shaw will be paid $90 an hour for labor and heavy equipment. Originally estimated as a $4,999 project, the dredging was scheduled for May but delayed by a lack of state permits, and objections from Realtor Herman Tolz who claimed land needed to complete the work.