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Vol. 22 No. 10 c 1986 Seawove Corp. All right* reserved. March 5, 1986

County Plans Cold Storage Plant for Fish By JOE ZELNIK ERMA — The county hopes to build and possibly operate a cold storage plant for the local fishing industry, unable to agree on doing the job itself. "We're not Big Brother," said county Economic Development Director Walter S Sachs Jr. "We would prefer they do it themselves, but they haven't been able to agree." The county's proposal would include a 10,000-to-20,000-squa re-foot cold storage facility as part of a 50,000-square-foot operation at the airport industrial park. Tlie remainder of the space would be for "other industrial users." Sachs said. "The fishing industry is so competitive, they have a hard time agreeing on a common facility," said Sachs. "The docks were discussed, but they couldn't agree on a location. This was selected as neutral turf." THE COUNTY would either construct a ] building or acquire space in the empty. 159.000-square-foot Everlon Fabrics Corp. plant at the airport. Sachs said. Although he declined comment on (Page 45 Please) §Sg^NEVVS I DIGEST //7 / The Week's I/ J! /I Top Stories West Is Best STRATHMERE - Herbert S Lustig of Wynnewood. Pa., a lot owner here, is suing Upper Township. Holly Shores Real Estate, Realtor Betty Disher, Beach Abstract Associates. Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company and the sellers of the property, Donald C. and Elizabeth R. Bergus. in two separate suits, alleging he has been denied "reasonable or beneficial use and enjoyment of his property." Lustig claims he found out he can't build on his lot, because it's east of the dime line and in an area where local ordinances prohibit building, after he purchased the land. 3 Arrests for Theft COURT HOUSE - Three 17-year-old boys are charged with nine counts of burglary and theft, five counts of criminal mischief and two counts of receiving stolen property in connection with nine burglaries from doctors' offices, businesses and county facilities here since November. Approximately $1,000 in money and merchandise was stolen, and Middle Township police are investigating whether the youths were in- ( Page 24 Please)

jr. i Front View of 1KH4 House in Court House

Dr. Wiley Built House in 1854

By E.J. DUFFY COURT HOUSE — How many passersby have craned their necks for a glimpse of that eerie house beyond the shrubs and trees gone wild on the northeast corner of Main and Mechanic streets? No one could ever know; but there must have been thousands over the decades since the place overgrew with ivy and grape vines — gnarled wooden limbs scratching the sky — hedges scraping the sidewalk. For generations of local children, the mysterious Victorian house, only visable in winter, was both sinister and fascinating, a haunted place for Halloween tales and double dares. But it was home to generations of a family that traces its roots beyond the builder, Dr. John Wiley, to Shamgar Hand who bought the property as part of his thousand-acre Romney Marsh Plantation here in 1695. Wiley and most of his dependants were professional people or academees who, it seems, traveled at least as much as they were home. Their house, therefore, was often empty and probably looked deserted.

So it was with the mo6t recent inhabitant, Dr. Florence Dowden Wood. 87. widow of Dr. Horace Elmer Wood II and mother of the late Thurston E. Wood an engineer. With her house and its contents gone (see adjacent story ), she now resides at a local nursing home. • A WOMAN OF GREAT INTELLECT and ready wit" in the words of her niece, Mary Flesher, who approved the house sale, Mrs. Wood is a friendly person, neighbors say, who cared for their cats, mailed Christmas cards to their children and invited them in to see the fossils she and her husband collected in their younger days. \ Much of that collection was taken to Stockton State College by her nephew. Dr Roger Wood of Avalon, a biologist who teaches comparative anatomy there. "I didn't even know they existed to tell you the truth," he said Friday of two basement rooms where fossils and other artifacts were stored after frequent family expeditions. "It was a real unicorn." a neighbor said of a fossilized equine skull from some extinct Chinese animal that showed evidence (Page 21 Please)

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$150,000 Buys Key Location

Questions - ^JSurround House Sale B> E.J. Dl'FFY COURT HOUSE "We are going to try and restore it as much as possible to it's original condition " Realtor Joseph K Pierce was speaking about the overgrown Victorian house on prime property — on the northeast corner of Main and Mechanic streets He and his partners purchased it recently for $150,000 at a private sale "The whole building is going to be of fices." added the Wildwood broker. :tl . from H.N. Hand Realtors and Insurors An architect with John S Sabatino Associates is preparing plans for a threestory. H.ooo square foot addition to the rear of the house. Pierce continued He said he hopes to take those plans, and a use variance request, to the Middle Township Planning Board this month A variance is needed because he wants commercial use of the residential property "WE'RE GOING TO RENT it out com , plctely." Pierce explained. "We anticipate that it will be used by doctors or attorneys. ' ' Besides the 1854 Wiley House < see related Story ' . the nearly half-acre property includes an even older barn that's earmarked for the county's Historic Cold Spring Village (Page 4 Please) % —inside BUDGETS at a glance: Middle Township, page 6; Wildwood Crest, page 16. WHAT they're saying; page 8. A CLOSE LOOK at thie 'good old days.' Outdoors with Lou Rodia, page 34. BOTTLE collecting, part two. Antiques. page 14. LUNACY in the schools as proficiency tests loom. From the Principal, page 8. 4

For Some, 1990-95 Is Now By JOE ZELMK The county MfclA's four-year-old Ocean City sewage treatment plant is at 95 percent of capacity Its two-year-old Cape May plant, which serves Cape May. West Cape May and Cape May Point, is at 77 percent of capacity. Two other plants — barely under construction — could reach a warning threshold of 80 percent capacity shortly after they open. The county's $10O-million sewage solution is threatened by rapid growth. The 13 municipalities in any way served by the MUA's waste water treatment program are being told to plan and zone to restrict development or face the necessity of sewer extension bans. IN CASE ANYONE envies the ,three municipalities not served by the MUA (Page 45 Please)