<52. 38 Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 8 lanuary "86

* Our Readers Write No Derogatory Words Needed To The Editor: I feei compelled to write this letter in defense of Freeholder Gerald Thornton and James Nevelle (Dec. 4 letter). I am relatively new in Cape" May County (if you would call three years "new'), and I have known Thornton and Nevelle almost as long. In my encounters with them I have found them to be fine, outstanding pillars of the community. As a matter of fact. I have been following the political scene because, like other families that have chosen to live and rear their children here, I am very interested in any decisions that are made by our officials. Not once have I seen Thornton make a move which was not in the interests of those who reside in the county. In watching what goes on in the political scene. I also have observed public opinion. One thing that I have noticed is that before the last election when campaigning was under way. there seemed to be a lack of name-calling. Not until Councilwoman Bieberbach came into the picture and began running her campaign ads along with her associates was there any war of names. It's beginning to look much like the domino theory: someone calls someone else a name. and. to protect his name he returns the insult. Why can't w6 debate the issues at hand without resorting to the dictionary for derogatory remarks? I for one refuse to fall for public opinion simply because someone says something about someone else and makes everyone else believe it. Thornton has done no one wrong as far as I'm concerned, nor does he owe anyone an apology. His record speaks for itself, and his namecalling. however useless it may be. was used in self- 1 defense. Someone once said, "actions speak much louder than words." and I find this to be my basis for any opinion. My suggestion is that we all take a moment to form our 1 own opinions based on fact rather than heresay. DENNIS L. HOFFMAN North Cape May Promote Saunders To The Editor: Well. I see the three stooges — Middle Tounship Mayor Michael J Voll and Committeemen James E Alexis and Charles M. Leusner — are at it again. After all the heckling they gave past Police Chief Edward Hansen, who retired after all the harassment they caused him. now it's time to appoint a new chief They have a good one in Captain Ray Saunders who with all his years given to Middle Township, knows everything about the department. I think the mayor and committeemen are 100 percent wrong to look outside of the department for a stranger, even if he comes from the township. They claim Saunders doesn't have a college education and he made a mistake once. (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. ) A lot of people in Middle Township think a man with Saunders' experience should be chief of the Middle Township Police Department No wonder the other officers in Middle Township are uneasy when they can't advance with time and experience. ED HARRIS * Rio Grande THJralh yCqwt Cap* II Joseph R. Zelnik Editor Bonnie Reina General Manager Gary L. Rudy Advertising Director John Dunwoody Special Promotions Director Darrell Kopp Publisher Co'p 1916 AH rigtwi rtt*«v»d All property rigHtt lor cootooti oi An p.bkTiOr tHoM bo tbo property ol Ae Seowore Corp No port Kereol moy be feprorArced -,„™. DFADL|Nt,s News & Photos .Thursday Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 For News or Advertising Information Mail Subscription: Yearly, $40; Six Month, $20 Call 465-5055 For News, Advertising or Subscription Information Xrefcr. pemrtpeUM erf.rrti.rr. eor Ibr pol.U.brr. eC ibr H6H ALII AMI LAYTERN .ill hr r.ip.e^blr .» liebtr let miM»l..rm.1M.« mitpHM. I. hir.l rTT,«. rtr M I Cape Map CHy Edition of die Cape May County Herald A MIMUmi HI I II til I -By The Se.e.v, Coepo.etlo. M

\ 1 J /% er IS-SMS-or- . c Pur TWEM ALL Tt36etMB2, TrtEV SPELL. 'TROUBLE* .... Workers Lazy To The Editor: I am writing about the poor service some of the local people give their customers. I called about delivery of firewood and was told it would be delivered the day before Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day. It's now Dec. 30 and with repeated promises I've been expecting it. I called again today and again did not get to speak to him The secretary seems to be in cahoots with him. I was mad. but not abusive. She told me she was not going to take my abuse and hung up on me. I am tired of the laziness and lying of the local work people and feel I've been done a great disjustice. I worked for the Pennsylvania Welfare Department for years and did more for my welfare clients and treated and talked to them better than I've been talked to and treated. There are lots of things I plan to do to my house, but I will import help. I'll never trust another workman in this area. , MRS. JEAN L. GILLESPIE Stone Harbor

No Red Bows In Court House To The Editor: My New Year's Resolution for 1986 is to write a letter of complaint or appreciation (as the case may apply) to whoever or whatever the circumstances may be. My first letter is a letter of complaint. I recently moved to the Court House area thinking that it was a fairly nice community. I personally think the business people do not care one iota for the residents; all they want is our green. Did you notice any red bows or garland to decorate their stores? Murphy's, Jamesway, Super Fresh, only a few to mention, not so much as a wreath. Even the township did not do any decorating along the main road. Oh, yes. we did have a big parade, didn't we? I Oh, well, next year I hope I can find a better place to do ' my Christmas shopping and find it to be a little more merrier. I forgot to mention, my house was broken into, which never happened in any other neighborhood I lived in. Need I tell you, my best impressions are not of Cape May Court House. MRS. J.E. WEBBER Cape May Court House Shelter Pleased To The Editor: The staff of the Cape May County Youth Shelter would like to thank you for the fine article you did concerning the residents of our shelter. Because of the a'rticle in your paper the residents and past residents in need will have a happy Christmas. The Cape May County Youth Shelter is a non-profit, 12-bed facility providing residential services to both males and females, seven days a week. 24 hours a day. Most of our residents are going through a period of crisis due to volatile family situations, community problems, or school difficulties where it has become apparent that an agency must intervene to help resolve the crisis. Additional residents are placed in the shelter by the Division of Youth and Family Services for their protection, as they are victims of physical and sexual abuse, neglect or abandonment. ERNIE H. CAMPBELL Director Cape May County Youth Services

—Our Role in '86 Lean and Mean , But Fun

By JOE ZELNIK Last year was good to this newspaper and, thus, its readers: more pages, more stories, more pictures. But as with any uncontrolled growth, we got pudgy in some places where we should have developed muscles. In some cases we got a little overweight, a little wasteful. And so this year we are dedicating ourselves to being lean and meart. Not that we're in this for the profit, you understand, but one can't totally disregard the relationship between receipts and disbursements, L We in editorial have been spending too much time sitting around the lunchroom talking about the theory of communications and the social responsibilities of a newspaper when we should have been listening at keyholes and asking the tough questions like, "How did you feel, ma'm, when you found you'd squashed your cat with your automatic garage door?" I AMONG CHANGES this year will be the refusal to accept doctor's statements as excuses to miss work. If you're well enough to go to the doctor, you're able to come to work. | It's easy to get a little lazy. The editor, for example, took off an entire day to get married and didn't come in at . all the day he passed a kidney stone. I myself didn't write a column the week I couldn't straighten up because of a . messed up back. > This year we're going to hunker down. There will be a i new gung-ho attitude. No more TGIF. That will be replac- • ed by TGIM — Thank God It's Monday and I can get back t to work. I Male reporters will be required to wear socks from ' Thanksgiving Day to St. Patrick's Day. And this writer j has been told to dress like a tourist in order to blend in with the vacationers and get closer to what they're thinking. I hate giving up the opportunity to wear a tie, but orders are orders I HOPE THIS doesn't sound negative, or dictatorial. 5 There also will be rewards for creativity and good ideas. . For example, reporter E. J Duffy has won a week's rides | to and from work in the company limo for his suggestion 1 that the courthouse reporter pull the plug on the ff . freeholders' paper shredder. W • * That idea worked and for two weeks the county thought its machine was down. The freeholders were throwing

away secret memos which we were able to secure by going through the trash at the rear of the county library building. From that, we were able to piece together the inside story on how Bill Sturm was able to strip the directorship of the board from the hands of Gerry Thornton. Don't miss our revealing five-part series, "The Thornton Turnover." or "Twelve Months for Unsportsmanlike Conduct." There will be a closer scrutiny and evaluation of reporters and their work. I was privileged last month to talk to a U.S. Navy journalist and learned that it has such titles as chief journalist (E-7), senior chief journalist ( E-8) and master chief journalist ( E-9) . We'll all be taking tests here later this month and then assigned similar titles based on the results. So don't be surprised if I answer the phone. "Apprentice Journalist Zelnik." None of this means this won't be a fun place to work in '86. Hardly. Our publishers learned that daily exercise increases cardio-pulmonary function and muscle tone, decreases cholesterol, and reduces stress, all of which make for increased production. As a result, our private sauna, steam room and exercise equipment is near completion in the basement and awaits only a permit from the Middle Township Sewerage Commission. When you call, let the phone ring a long time because the receptionist probably will be hogging the sauna. And if she sounds like she's under water, be a little understanding. She probably is. Company Sauna Tested