Herald - lantern - Dispatch 16 October '85

57

Poll Public on College Desires

(From Page 1) townships "for the most part go to the Atlantic City area and to Atlantic Community College." He said some residents from the EldoraBelleplain area may go to Cumberland County, but a report on last year's high school graduates showed that none of about 35 attending two-year institutions chose Cumberland. He said he knew that Ocean City students "look toward Mays Landing, because of its geographical location," and "I'm sure Lower (Regional) follows the same routine. The Garden State Parkway is much more comfortable than Delsea Drive (Route 47). NEWELL AND BLOOD cited a number of reasons for Atlantic's popularity, but conceded these might not apply if the choice was for a branch campus in the county, which is one of several options the three-month-old committee can recommend to the Board of Freeholders. "Travel is not as strong a point if the college is here," said committee member Ruth Millward. The guidance directors suggested, and the committee agreed, that the students, "a captive audience," should be polled "as to the type of programs they want to see." The committee also decided to poll the community with "a bulk mailing" to find out what the out-of-school population wants. This came after Vo-Tech Schools Supt. Wilbur J. Kistler Jr., a committee member, pointed out that the average student age at Atlantic is 29, and that many

older persons are interested in college courses. BLOOD SAID that he had taught as an adjunct instructor for Atlantic and "often the students were older than me. Many are looking for courses they never got a chance to take because they never went to college." "Such as art appreciation," interjected Newell. Blood pointed out that "a lot of middleaged women" are taking LPN (licensed practical nurse) courses. Kilpatrick agreed the committee would be "committing ourselves blindly" without a needs survey. "There are a lot of people in the community whose educational thoughts we don't know," said Blood. "We have to survey other people," said Kistler. "It may be that the majority are happy now." (One of the county's options is to leave things the way they are, with students traveling to out-of-county campuses and the county paying chargebacks for its share of the tuition — currently costing from $1 million to $1.5 million a year.) A NEEDS SURVEY agreed upon, the committee decided it would need professional help both in formulating the questionnaire and in other considerations. It decided to seek the help of Dean Evans of West Chester, Pa , a former founding president of Burlington County and Warren County community colleges and a former interim president at Delaware County (Pa.) Community College. Evens, 60, retired at Warren County in 1983 and heads a higher education con-

sulting firm called Foxgill Consultants. The decision to do a needs survey and retain a consultant brought the next question — money. "We need a budget to do these things professionally." said Kistler. FREEHOLDERS Kilpatrick and Herbert Fredrick agreed and said that will be discussed with the entire board which is just beginning deliberations on a 1986 budget. Newell began his views with the observation that Atlantic Community College "has a proven track record that I have not seen, quite bluntly, from Cumberland." Kilpatrick asked him what "post-high school needs" he saw. "A facility here in the county where the student can get the core courses for an A.S. or A. A. degree: English, mathematics, history," said Newell. "Many use it (the community college) as a stepping stone to a four-year degree," said Newell. "It's simple to get the student to Rio Grande (where Atlantic has an extension campus), but it's difficult to motivate him to go to Mays Landing." "WHAT DIRECTION are the students taking, technical?" asked Diane Hevei-r. Newell said casino management and culinary arts were popular because "you don't have to sell those careers." Students, he said, want "practical careers" such as business management and medical careers, with an eye toward jobs at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital. Blood said that students are choosing ACC's Culinary Institute, at $31 a credit hour, to a $10,000 tuition, plus housing, at several other notable and similar institutions. "There are students who took gourmet

cooking making more money than I am," observed Newell. Upon reflection, he added, "Well, that's easy " MILWARD ASKED if guidance counselors were telling students about other careers. "We try to expose students to different jobs," said Newell. "The Wildwood kids go into business management because they can see how that applies. The casinoes are here to stay. The kids are more and more practical. "The average kid changes his major four times." Newell added. Both Newell and Blood, examining a synopsis of the Atlantic and Cumberland proposals, were incredulous at the long lists of "program offerings" compared to the request for a handful of classrooms at the vo-tech school. "Is that possible0" asked Newell. "How will that do it?" Kistler said both colleges also intend to "share facilities" at vo-tech. But Newell pointed out that Atlantic listed neither casino management nor culinary arts as programs that would be offered in-county. ONLY SIX OF the committee's 15 members were present, and attendance has been declining since its first meeting on Aug. 8. The group has been changing meeting times in an effort to find one convenient for as many persons as possible It slated its next session for Wednesday. Oct. 30. but left the time open for now Kilpatrick reported that Avalon Mayor Rachel Sloan, who has never attended a meeting, had resigned because of "too many commitments." Kilpatrick said Ocean City Mayor Jack Bittner, head of the county League of Municipalities, will name a replacement

Is That Chocolate We Smell?

(From Page 1) would "take raw waste and come up with gold." Hollander is vice president of STV/Sanders & Thomas. Inc. of Pottstown, Pa., the firm was paid $152,000 to do a feasibility study for the county MUA (Municipal Utilities Authority) on resource recovery. His presentation was part of an MUA effort to inform the community about one partial solution to, let's face it, garbage. MUA SOLID WASTE Manager Ted O'Neill told this newspaper that $25,000 to $30,000 of the 18-month study's cost went for "addressing the issues and concerns and questions of Lower Township's twoplant idea." Lower has proposed a trash-to-energy plant in the former Harbison Walker magnesite plant. The study's conclusion: one 400-tons-per-day plant would cost $8.6 million less to build than two, plus another $1 million less a year to operate. The apparent purpose of the slides was to show that these plants have been around a long time, need not be ugly, and often are located close to population centers. The study has recommended the plant be built adjacent to the county's sanitary landfill in Woodbine and Upper Township. The freeholder audience was vital since that board must amend the county's Solid Waste Management Plan for this project to go ahead. (The county also aids the MUA by guaranteeing its borrowing so it can get a lower interest rate). FREEHOLDER-DIRECTOR Gerald M Thornton interrupted the slide show to ask what all this would cost. "One hundred thousand dollars per ton of installed capacity, or $40 million," replied Hollander. "That's construction cost," he added, "which is two-thirds of the bond issue." It was dark, and no one could see the freeholders' faces. Total cost, according to the plan, would be $55 million, assuming variable rate revenue bond financing at 8 percent interest: Annual operating cost would be $7.7 million minus $3.6 million revenue from sale of energy and reserve interest for a net cost of $4 million or $27.81 a ton. Freeholder approval is considered certain since it has told the MUA to get resource recovery in operation by 1990. Considering how long things take, the plan says "key public decisions" should be made this fall. PUT SIMPLY, resource recovery means burning trash to create energy: steam or electric power. This plant could provide steam to the largest user in the county: Woodbine State School. Excess energy would be sold to Atlantic Electric, whether it likes it or not. fhe state Board of Public Utilities has

ordered all utilities to buy power from qualifying alternate sources at a BPU-set rate of 110 percent of the regional grid price. "And we estimate the value of electricity will increase," Hollander told the freeholders. The freeholders several times asked if Atlantic Electric couldn't build the plant, thus sparing the county from being indirectly responsible for higher electric rates. The question was never answered. Hollander also pointed out that "we're charging people to bring it (fuel for the future furnace) to us." Thornton asked how far steam could be delivered. "Three miles," said Hollander, "and the value of steam is far greater than electricity." THE APPEAL OF trash-to-energy is two-fold: the sale of that energy plus "cost avoidance" or the resulting slowdown in filling the county landfill. O'Neill said this plant would "at least double the life of the landfill." The plan estimated the county will generate 145,000 tons of trash a year by 1989. Hollander said a typical three-person household puts out a ton of waste a year. This increases significantly during the tourist season, of course. The plant would be built to handle the year-round population, not the peak period or "summer surge." About 60 percent of the trash is combustible, Hollander said. He also suggested several times that the plant could burn the sludge being treated at the MUA's composting plant in Crest Haven. Oversized material, Hollander said in response to a question, "would continue to go to the landfill." About 30 percent of the total trash would still require landfill disposal, the study said. Also landfillbound would be the 30 percent of the processed waste that would result in residue. ALTHOUGH the resource recovery plan talks about reducing the county "total solid waste stream by 5 to 15 percent" with "source separation and recycling programs," Hollander clearly had no interest in combining that with the proposed resource recovery plant. He said that would "increase the complexity of the facility. "Try to find a market," he added. In answers to other questions, O'Neill said the plant would require 10 or 12 acres, and Hollander said it was "rugged and robust" and would have a 30-year life expectancy. O'Neill summed up after the slide presentation: "We feel comfortable — well, maybe not all that comfortable — but confident such plants can be built."

/M^NEWS INgV DIGEST '7/ III / Tlle Week 's jj jj II Top Stories (From Page 4) south side of city hall, plus some funds for a new fire hall. The city has a paid company and two volunteer companies. Troiano said the volunteers have more than $100,000 available. He didn't say what it would cost for the proposed building to house the three companies, an auditorium, meeting room, and historical museum. No School Decision * WILDWOOD CREST - Borough school board member Matthew Tomlin told 15 concerned residents last week that it will be more than a year before the board decides what to do with the Philip Baker School. It's marked for closing sometime next year when an addition to Wildwood Crest Memorial School will house kindergarten through third grade students from Baker. The board had discussed selling the Baker School to finance the expansion but funds were appropriated from the district surplus instead. Cop Indicted BEESLEY'S POINT - County grand jurors last week indicted Atlantic City Patrolman Brendan Connell, 24, of Margate Avenue here for killing Holly G. Davison, 20, of Buffalo Road, Somers Point, in a June 26 head-on crash along Route 9 in this Upper Township community. Connell's indictment was based on speeding, drunk and reckless driving charges. He was suspended without pay last Wednesday. Dead Man Identified WILDWOOD — Stephen A. Jefferson, an unemployed Virginian from Hampton, apparently drowned by accident during a visit here last week, according to city police. They reported Saturday that his sister from Philadelphia identified Jefferson as the man whose body was found floating off Schellenger Avenue Friday morning.

Gloria's Bill OCEAN CITY — Hurricane Gloria's damage to the boardwalk from 15th to 19th streets plus an after-storm clean-up and repairs will cost $450,000 reported City Treasurer Donald Hart. Damage to the beach at the north end of the island, where between two and three feet of sand was lost, will cost between $200,000 and $500,000. If the state picks up the tab, the city will still have to appropriate one-fifth of the amount, or $90,000 in the 1986 budget lipping The Ante COLD SPRING — Lower Township councilmen will be asked next Monday to contribute $5,000 toward moving the old municipal hall from Seashore Road here to Route 9. Erma, for the proposed second entrance to the county's Historic Cold Spring Village Councilmen last fall agreed to contribute $l,000-$3,000 to anyone willing to move the two-story frame structure and save it from demolition. They informally agreed 3-1 last week to hike that contribution as requested by the county which wants to convert the 1897 landmark into a maritime museum. Loan Hearing Today ERMA — Lion Tours-Paglione Enterprises wants a $115,000 Small Cities Block Grant to buy a building in the county Industrial -Park here, expand its fleet of 23 vehicles and employ 10-15 more workers. Lower Township council plans a public hearing 2 p.m. today on the grant application because, if approved, it would create a revolving loan Jund for other local businesses. The hearing will be held in Township Hall, 2600 Bayshore Rd., Villas. Action also may be taken on other matters. Injured Driver Charged NORTH CAPE MAY - Gary Porter. 21, of Bayshore Road was admitted to Atlantic City Medical Center with a broken neck after the brakes on his car locked and the vehicle overturned around 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 on Route 9, Swainton. His passenger, David DiPietro, also 21 of Bayshore Rd., escaped uninjured. Middle Township police have charged Porter with careless and drunk driving.