\ V ( ^ CAP^IAY COUNTY ^ 1 fUralu

Vol. 22 No. 8 I — — — — 1 — —

c1986 Seawave Corp. All rights reserved.

February 19, 1986

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Second Thoughts {If COURT HOUSE - With no comment from other freeholders, the board's director, William E. Sturm Jr., last week put aside former director Gerald M. Thornton's request that the county rent 15,000 square feet in the current Crest Haven Nursing Home, due to be replaced next year, to Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital for a 30-bed alcoholism treatment facility. Thornton said the county previously gave "conceptural approval" and the hospital needed it formalized to get an extensioMTfiJ^its Certificate of Need. Sturm saretbff didn't like "piecemealing" the building, and asked county Counsel Harry A. Delventhal Jr. to find out if the program is really "mandated." Second Thoughts (2) COURT HOUSE — Former Freeholder William R. Wilsey of Petersburg told the board last week he felt it would be a shame to tear down the current Prosecutor's building adjacent to the court house. Freeholder-Director William E. Sturm Jr. told Wilsey "the jury is still out on that one." adding that there now were thoughts that the building might have historic significance. The freeholders voted unanimously a week ago to have the architect go ahead with plans saying "it makes sense " Second Thoughts (3) COURT HOUSE - The Press, a daily newspaper published in Pleasantville. last week reported that freeholders would move George Betts of Upper Township from alternate to full member ( Page 20 Please)

—inside A MISSED - career opportunity, joy ride, page 39. VAGUE charges indict everyone. From the Principal, page 39. ALPHABETICALLY through the county library: "U is for decisionmaking, page 36. SALT Water License, arisen from the dead. Outdoors by Lou Rodia, Page 27.

The Vo-Tech Struggle At Last , an Enrollment Increase

By JOE ZELMK COURT HOUSE — The county vo-tech school's budget has increased 41 percent over the last five years while enrollment has declined by 28 percent. Against that background, freeholders this month unanimously approved a record $3.25-million budget a 12 percent increase. for the 1986-87 school year amid praise for its "12 percent increase in enrollment." That enrollment climb was 47 FTEs (full-time equivalent students) to a total of 459. But it is still less than any of the four

preceding years during which there has been a consistent decline (see chart). FREEHOLDER-DIRECTOR William E Strum Jr. called the 459 figure a "trend back in our direction" when the budget was approved Feb. 6. And Vice-Director Gerald M. Thornton lauded the district for its "substantia] increase in enrollment " Vo-lpch's 1982-83 budget was slashed by $351 .TOO when sharply falling enrollment necessitated a dozen layoffs. Since then, the budget has climbed by $951,534. Enrollment has dipped by 176 since 1981-82. when it was 635 As the budget climhs. so does the

county's share because of decreasing slate and federal funds, primarily the latter and especially the dow ngrading of the federal CETA • Comprehensive Employment Training Act) program. IN I9HI-H2. THE ('Ol'NTY contributed $1 million, or 45 percent, of the total vo-tech budget For 1985,86. it was $1 8 million. 62 percent In the just -approved budget for the neftLschool year, it totals $2 2 million or 68 percent School Supt. Wilbur J Kistier Jr told freeholders next year's budget projects an additional 120 students. Key is (he adult high school for persons 18 or older who have been out of school for at least a year "That eventually could be the tail that wags the dog." Kistier told this newspaper , It opened with 28 students last • September, has 6U now. and Kistier expects it to enroll loo next fall TWO YEARS AGO. Kistier projected a 34 percent enrollment increase and it drop ped 9 percent Last year he projected a 30 percent hike The 12 percent that resulted, he told the freeholders, has been largely in the CJareer Center regular secondary population and notably in the 7lh. 8th and 9th grades " The hopes of course, is that they will slay with the district through 12th grade But Kistlef conceded that "we are in a struggle **■ ( Page 37 Please)

81-82 82-83 83-84 84-85 85-86 86-87 I ~~ ^H*2.65 MILLION J 572 '2.8 MILLION I I ^ MElK)N J'Fufl-tlroe equivalent students [ |

They're Not Fat, Dumb and Happy Federal Retirees Mark 65 Years

By EJ. DUFFY Sixty-five years ago today, 14 of Uncle Sam's former employes met at 423 New York Ave., Washington, D.C., to organize a push for better retirement benefits. Some federal retirees were collecting less than $15 a month when their maximum monthly annuity was $60, Jacob W. Starr, president of the Civil Service Retirement Association, noted at that meeting. His organization lobbied for passage of the Civil Service Retirement Act the year

before, 1920. But Starr urged tho6e attending the Feb. 19 meeting in 1921, to consolidate their separate retirement associations into a stronger, unified voice for former federal workers. Starr was selected president of the fledgling group which decided first to lobby for a minimum annual retirement benefit of $360 and a maximum of $1,400. "1 THINK WE MADE A good start." Starr told his new colleagues. They called themselves the National Association of Retired Civil Employees.

> Chartered as a non-profit organization in ! 1947. it became the National Association of , Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) I through a June 1970 membership referendum. # By last July, that membership had grown • from the original 1* to more than 491.000 • with 1,662 chapters in the U.S. and overseas, according to John Di Filippo of Villas. NARFE Chapter 1197 president. Celebrating NARFE's 65th anniversary I early, during its regular monthly meeting at Lower Township's Joseph Millman Community Center in Villas on Thursday, Chapter 1197 boasts 250 members. But, like the association's founders, Di Filippo's hunting for more. "In Cape May County." he explained, "there are many federal service retirees that do not belong to NARFE." At least 100 countians belong to the na tional organization but have not joined either of two local chapters, in Villas and Ocean City. Other federal retirees in the county are not affiliated with NARFE at all, he said. "AND THIS REALLY HURTS," he said First to feel the pinch of federal budget cutting this year, with the loss of a 3.1 percent cost of living increase. Uncle Sam's former workers need to get together and keep abreast of such cha'hges, lobby to keep the federal retirement system sound and their benefits safeguarded, EH Filippo said. Not all surviving spouses of federal retirees are entitled to benefits, he noted. Too often he finds that out when explaining annuities to non-member widows or (Pages Plane)

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Hotel-Motel Management: Who Needs it? This county has a billion-dollar tourism industry and more hotels-motels than mosquitoes. hut couldn't find 10 people who wanted to take a vo-tech hotel-motel management course. As a result, a complete eight room motel fc— including a lobby, restrooms and front desk — isn't being used for educational pur poses for the third consecutive year. "1 don't understand it," conceded Supt • Wilbur J Kistier Jr., shaking his head The motel docs provide $15-a-night rooms for persons referred to the school district "by government or service organizations." Kistier said. As an example, he cited visiflng judges. THE MOTEL is part of vo-tech's career center building, constructed in 1979. Kistier arrived in January. 1981. Kistier said the school requires an enrollment of 10 before it will offer the course. Two applied this year, he said, for "hospitality careers." a new name for hotel- r motel management. There is not a faculty member on staff to teach the course The district advertised for one at $20,000 to $25,000 a year last year, but did not fill it because there was no need. There reportedly were no applicants for the job, either "I would have thought there was a need to train people in this county in the tourism d industry." said Kistier. "I'm surprised we cannot attract students." THE SCHOOL DISTRICT almost offered the course to a county Job Training Partnership Act ( JTPA) group, but it also was unsuccessful in recruiting enough students. JTPA is the federal program administered by the county's Private Industry Council (PIC). JTPA administrator Joseph Haggerty told this newspaper that his agency advertised for an institution to offer a course and (Page 20 Please)