Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 29 January '86

. 37

County Budget Up $2.5 Million

< From page 1 ) $2-million surplus. As he did last year, Sturm said that extra 12 million would be needed "as a cushion for debt service" in 1987. In fact, the cushion wasn't needed for the 1986 budget with debt service, last year's biggest percentage budget increase, being $50,000 less than the $3.1 million appropriated for 1985. That, Sturm said, is because the county borrowed $15.5 million in one-year bond ajv ticipation notes in 1985 and will convert them to permanent funding (a bond issue) this year. But payments on the bond issue are not expected to begin until 1987, giving the county a one-year "free ride," so to speak. NEITHER OF the projects for which that money was borrowed — a new Crest Haven Nursing Home and a courts expansion project in Court House — has yet gone to bid. Sturm pointed out that falling interest rates indicate the county will save about 2 percent over a year ago when it does go to permanent funding which should be within six weeks. Last year's second biggest budget increase in percentage was for capital improvements, up 26 percent This year, that figure actually is down about a half-million dollars, from $2.5 million to $2 million. THE PROPOSED BUDGET also contains one question mark that will have to be filled in by Feb. 26 — insurance. Although group insurance for county employes is down by about $70,000, from

$2,327 million to $2,264, based on a good experience factor, general liability insurance (property and casualty) remains an unknown. "We are still in the throes of negotiations on that one," said^turm. The county last December named Charles Pessagno of New Jersey National Associates Inc. in Cape May as its insurance "broker of record," charged with recommending coverage and where to place the county's insurance. Sturm said Pessagno, has made "some preliminary recommendations." but Sturm said he was "not at liberty say more." The proposed budget's biggest percentage increase is a 14.5 percent hike for "Regulation," which goes from $1.3 million to $1.5 million. That item includes the sheriff, medical examiner, emergency management, fire marshal, consumer affairs, planning board, weights and measures and board of taxation. The budget's biggest dollar increase is $1.1 million for general governments That 13.5 percent hike increases the total from $8.2 million to $9.3 million. General government includes the freeholders, treasurer, legal department, clerk of the board, personnel, county clerk, prosecutor, facilities and services, economic development, insurance, etc. The other major categories and their proposed increases: Education, up 10 percent from $4 million to $4.4 million ; Correctional, up 9.7 percent

from $1 .9 million to $2. 1 million : Judiciary, up 7.3 percent from $1.9 million to $2 million; Health & Welfare, up 6.4 percent from $9.2 million to $9.8 million. Roads and Bridges, up 5.7 percent from $2.7 million to $2.9 million The "unclassified" category shows a 93 percent decrease from $1 million to $538,896, but tnat's because a number of

operations were transferred out of that category The only department with an actual decrease is Recreational, down 4.4 percent from $759,486 to $726,183. That item n eludes Cold Spring Village and the Park. Commission. Sturm said the reduction occurs in the latter.

'Hi, I'm Larry and I'm an Addict'

( From page 1 ) he added. "The message is : it doesn't matter what you're addicted to." Larry has noticed that many new NA members are only addicted to alcohol. LIKE AA. NA members have sponsors. A sponsor is a recovering addict a member can trust to share life experiences with, someone to whom he can go to with problems that may be too personal to share with the group. Sponsors can be particularly helpful when a person is feeling weak-willed. Larry urges members of his group to collect additional phone numbers, so they can call someone every day. "Twenty-five cents a day is cheap life insurance," he said. NA members realize there is no cure for their addiction, so they refer to themselves as "recovering addicts" even if they've been clean for years. All members are urged to attend meetings drug-free, and Larry said the group can tell if a member is using or not simply by looking at him. "THAT'S PART OF the problem between parents and children; the parents can't tell if their kids are high," he said. "But people who use can tell immediately if someone is using or not." If anyone is using, he is not asked to leave the meeting. Rather, he is told to keep quiet and listen carefully to what the group has to say. "We love them and try to;help them by focusing a little extra attention on them," Larry said. Anyone can become a member of NA; the only requirement is the desire to stop using drugs. No dues are required, members simply "pass the hat" and give what they can. Each group strives to be autonomous, so no outside contributions are accepted. NARCOTICS Anonymous doesn't promise a cure; it simply offers a program that works for those who persevere. "We are people in the grip of a continuing and progressive illness whose ends are always the same: jails, institutions, and

death," NA literature reads. Unfortunately, these realities often intrude on the positive tone of the group's meetings. This night, it was learned that a member of a sister group had died and there was a funeral to attend. "If there are any new members here tonight, get used to it," Larry said. "We go to a lot of funerals." NA Chapter Meets Nightly By GREGG LAWSON The Cape May chapter of Narcotics Anonymous < NA > meets 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in the Ida Lewis Auditorium at the United States Coast Guard base. A Wildwood NA group meets Tuesday at B:30 p.m. in St. Simeon's Church. 25th and Central avenues. Marmora's group, which formerly met at All Seasons Marina, is moving to new locations. The Monday night group will meet at Shore Memorial Hospital. Somers Point, at 8:30 p.m. The Thursday and Sunday groups will meet in Zion Methodist Church. Zion Road in Bargaintown (just north of Somers Point). 8:30. p.m. An Ocean City group meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday in St Peter's Church. 8th and Central avenues A new group will meet 8:30 p.m Saturday at Messiah Lutheran. 4200 Lahdis Avenue, Sea Isle City. Nar-Anon. a sister organization for relatives and friends of drug addicts, meets 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Ida Lewis Auditorium, United States Coast Guard Base, Cape May. For further information, call Narcotics Anonymous in Vineland. 696-5606. or in Cape May. 886-9022

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« Northern Business Growth Stymied

( From page 1 ) and the Great Cedar Swamp on the east and south. He reportedly has contracted to buy the land from George F. Pettinos Inc. The Dennis Civic Association opposed the proposal a year ago, claiming it violates the township's master plan, increases traffic, drains the water supply and pollutes ground water. BUT CAMPBELL'S current obstacle - temporary though it may be — is that ole devil. NJDPES. Campbell could not be reached. Dennis Township Municipal Clerk Edward J. Meerwald said the township is "looking into getting a (waste water management) plan, or something else in place of it." He indicated preliminary work has not yet started. A proposed 150-unit retirement community on a 60-acre lot off Academy Road and Route 9 also could be affected. But that project, not yet formally presented to the township, also would require zoning changes. UPPER. DENNIS and Woodbine have two things in conraion. They opted not to be included with and serviced by county Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA). That implies no municipal sewage systems. And neither has a waste water management plan. That was not a problem when DEP only got involved with systems of 8,000 gallons or more. It is a problem with 2,000 gallons. The solution is to get waste water management plans and the question now is whether the municipality or the county % } , -

will do the work. County Planner Elwood Jarmer said that plan must include "not only the physical aspects, but also the institutional aspects such as who would manage, monitor, oversee. Big systems raise big questions. JARMER HAS TALKED with Upper and Dennis and with developers of Cedar Square and Plaza 9. He said he's offered to amend the county's plan to include the municipalities, but "that might take time." With timing crucial. Jarmer said. Cedar Square environmental consultant J; L Umax & Associates of Swainton has offered to do the technical work for Upper Township (and Cedar Square). "We will work with the applicant so it is consistent with the county's master plan." added Jarmer. "WE'RE WORKING on an interim plan prior to a township-approved plan.", explained Steven Ewing of Lomax "These people are caught between changes in interpretations and regulations of the DEP's division of Water Resources. It refuses to review applications for NJPDES permits until the municipality has an approved waste water management plan " Ewing said his firm's proposal remains "in the planning stage" and who would pay for the plan is "undermined. " He also said he has not talked to anyone from Plaza 9. which also presumably would benefit from an interim township waste water management plan. Plaza 9 developer Clayton did not return this newspaper's phone calls.

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