J4 \ Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 18 December '85

SHOP AT HOME IN CAPE MAY COUNTY

d M.S. BROWN M3o3SO^ All Pearls • I This Years Genuine Stone | # 1 Item 1 Beads • Bracelets J ■ Monster Beads or Necklaces • and • • and • I Special Selection Winard Gold of Wallets • Jewelry Chains Bockets • Crosses & of all lengths | Many Other Items ! • /X0/„ FREE GIFT I m R '0 The first 12 customers I I Apr who purchase $1,000 ^ * -T of merchandise will Selected Seiko receive a FREE Seiko £ Quartz Clock. Valued Bulova Watches $65' ooaa n 'C * Sale excludes all repair work. J5U4 Pacific Ave., All Major Credit Cards AcWild wood 522-7604 ' cepted. Layaway for Christmas. I# M ■ * / CARD & GIFT SHOP CHRISTMAS BOXED CARDS PARTY GOODS CHRISTMAS WRAP TREE TRIMMERS STOCKING STUFFERS and of course... __ 1986 calendars

~|V a The Wildwoods ~ I Kl * ' M A ^ pi omas Parsons i A \ ~ . =? = = J VVi' y I 889-0138 \ J

^ It's always a pleasure to announce the annual open =■ house exhibit staged by the Greater Wildwood Railroad Club. This may be the 16th year that the club has hosted its model railway open house, but each year attendants express the same enthusiasm and appreciation. It is a delightful show, particularly if you have little ones accompanying you. The open house is slated for every Thursday evening 7 : 30-9. Their building at 135 W. Burke Ave. and your attendance is welcome. They ask a small donation to help defray the expense of the presentation. Plan to attend. WITH ONLY a week before Christmas, those of you who haven't finished shopping better get a move on it! And a note about shopping: Doit locally: it's tough to find better stocked stores and more cordial sales clerks than in Cape May County. Really! Case in point: I recently violated the cardinal rule of local shopping by traveling to Deptford for Christmas goodies. Never again. My wife and I found one-third of what we needed. found; ourselves stamped by thoughtless shoppers with wayward carts, and summarily checked out by clerks who seemed to wish the season was over. The next night found us in the Wildwoods and neighboring communities. We found everything and a few extras. Each and every clerk was cordial, seemed to enjoy the season's spirit and was most helpful. One gentleman from a local store even assisted with carrying packages to the I car. Next year and forever more, I will save the two dollars in tolls, and forget the arduous three-hour round trip. Moral of the story: If you have any last minute shopping to do. don't look north, look next door. The prices are right, the people pleasant, and the shelves stocked with all the goodies that you may need. DON'T OVERLOOK the City of North Wildwood for any last minute shopping that you may have left to do I don't mean the business district of the city, but the city itself. It's the North Wildwood Auction of "stuff they have found and nobody has claimed." The auction is set for 2 p.m. Monday. Dec. 23. at the municipal garage located at Oak and Virginia Avenue in the city's Anglesea section. Featured on the list of offerings are several bicycles and a large assortment of interesting articles. You may inspect the lot between I and 2 p.m. the afternoon of the auction. All items are I sold "as is" but the prices I will be right and it should be an excellent source of that last minute gift for the budget-conscious. THE POLITICAL scene seems to be heating up. Not I cal, for a change, but

directed at a portion of the State Legislature and the Governor himself! In an effort to beat the end of the year adjustment, the lawmakers are attempting to pass the necessary legislation that would fund the shore restoration/preservation projects. It certainly sounds like a laudable effort, doesn't it, but the work they were doing caused a furor throughout the Wildwoods. The end result of the legislative package was an attempt to add a l percent room tax on all seashore lodging facilities. Unacceptable, said the local "powers that be" and off to Trenton they trekked to oppose the passage of the legislation. When one looks at the line-up of those joining ranks in opposition, the state is in for a bitter battle. STRANGELY ENOUGH. I spoke with several local merchants who felt that the tax was simply a user tax, and where better to levy it than upon the lodging industry? The retailers felt that the tax would be unfair if levied upon their wares, as too many locals use their products. After all. they said, residents are taxed enough for beach maintenance. Easy to say. I suppose, if you're not in the motel business. Residents also have a "so what" attitude about the room tariff. Those I spoke with while doing my LOCAL shopping felt that it is not as though the innkeepers have to pay it. they just have to collect it. Each segment of Islanders seems to have its own rationale and thoughts on the legislation. I would like to say "That's interesting", but its not, it has all the makings of divisiveness. Again! IN ESSENCE, the tax would amount to a l percent surcharge upon all motel room rentals on a year-round basis. It also provides for a 10 percent cut of beach fee revenues for the towns that impose them. As no community on Five Mile Beach has beach fees, each would be forced to contribute 10 percent of the average state-wide beach fee. This would be generated on a per-capita basis. The legislation does have impact upon our shores in more ways than one. It is tantamount to a one percent increase in taxes for a segment of the tourism industry. What do the moteliers have to say? Those I spoke with were most upset. Doomsayers all, but each with credible arguments against the tax. They were unanimous on one aspect: they feel that the lodging industry of the Wildwoods needs a paid full-time lobbyist to shortcircuit legislation such as this. They feel like a directionless giant, out-gunned, out-maneuvered, and outspent in Trenton. ONE THING FOR sure, this legislation, whether passed and signed or not, will make a marked difference upon the collective business community of the Wildwoods. In any event.

e the state will certainly e know that they exist, as they have no intentions of e taking this one lying down, e The aquarium going to ; Camden upset them, but y this could be the tax that 1 broke the coffer's back. We shall see. i Also on the business front, again with the lodging industry at the r forefront, the necessary procedural steps needed ; for the expansion of Conl vention Hall have begun to t hit the rocky road. ; Cooperation from adjoining communities has been 1 less than enthusiastic, with ) Mayor Lewis Vinci of North Wildwood stating i that he won't decide, but i rather he will let the voters decide in a public referenJ dum on the issue of joining in on the expansion. Sparks have begun to fly already. Nobody denies the 1 viability of the Wildwoods • as a major convention town. They are also in universal agreement that a larger hall means more and bigger conventions, which in turn means more employment for a longer period of the year. So why all the contention? I PERHAPS EACH mayor should appoint a citizens' council to review the merits of the expansion and the possible impact upon the residents and the business community at large. The project certainly is in need of a good PR campaign and an increase in resident awareness of the pitfalls and benefits from the expansion. I wonder how communities such as Virginia Beach went from using an inflatable dome to one of the country's largest hall owners in a few short years. They even were able to add a "Hall tax" to many purchases at the same time. Maybe the fact that they placed the new facility out of town played a part in the construction's acceptance. Egads, Wildwood, watch out, maybe Middle Township is looking over your shoulder. • • • ON A DIFFERENT note, the Wildwood String Band is looking for participating members. "Mr. Stringband". Captain Frank Inverso, has put out the call for talented volunteers to join the strutting musicians. Captain Frank promises plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction, so if you have a musical flair, why not give it a shot? It is one of the fastest growing organizations around and is certainly good for the Wildwoods. If you are interested, you are asked to give Inverso a call at his home, 729-6888. FINAL NOTE: Don't forget, next week's Herald/Lantern will be distributed on Monday, Dec. 23. If you have news items for publication, give me a call TODAY, as the 18th is the deadline. The following week will find publication on Dec. 30, with Monday the 23rd as the submission deadline. Until then ...