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Warning to Early Birds: Bridge to Close

COURT HOUSE — Remember those promises that the Great Channel Bridge linking Stone Harbor and the mainland wouldn't be closed anymore? Forget 'em. County engineer Neil O. Clarke told uLLIMM H Everybody's Working COURT HOUSE - Calling it "a clue as to what's happening in Cape May County," Freeholder Ralph W. Evans last week reported that the county received no bids for labor and materials to install wallboard, acoustical ceiling and concrete curbs at the temporary court facility being built at the county airport, Erma. Evans said this shouldn't delay the project, which now has a fall deadline. The county is readvertising the job. with specs available from the Purchasing Department, and will open bids April 29. Village Sewer COLD SPRING — Albrecht & Heun of Court House, lowest of six bidders, last week was awarded a $12,632 county contract to construct a sewer disposal system for the Douglass House, an ice cream parlor at Historic Cold Spring Village. I Budget less COURT HOUSE - Freeholders amended the proposed 1986 budget last week to a new total of $45.2 million, but postponed adoption until probably April 22 because the state still hasn't given necessary approvals. Freeholder-Director William E. Sturm Jr. said this will be the latest adoption he can remember, and he's the board's senior member with 15 years in office. This means disgruntled taxpayers have two more shots at the budget: 4 p.m. on both the 17th and the 22nd. $332,000 in Sand SOUTH CAPE MAY - Earthwork Associates of Marmora was awarded a $332,000 state contract to build a sand dune from Cape May Point State Park, (Page 28 Please)

freeholders last week that the contractor "will have to close the bridge two or three times for one or two hours at a time." Clarke said he hoped the closings would be at a time like 6 a.m. to inconvenience as few persons as possible. And he said the public would be given 48 hours notice by alerting radio stations and daily newspapers. BOB HOVICK. principal engineer with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) overseeing the job. said the bridge would be closed "at first light until they're done, by 6:30 or 7 (a.m.) at the latest." Asked when the 27-month-old rehabilita-

tion project (it began in January 1964) would be completed, Clarke said, "They're still telling us Memorial Day." "It won't be put to bed by Memorial Day" predicted Freeholder-Director William E. SturimJr. "WE'RE TRYING like hell," said Hovick." We should be (completed by Memorial Day), but you never know. I'd hate to think we won't be." The almost $4-million job originally was proposed for 10 months starting in the fall of 1983. Stone Harbor interests objected to losing the bridge during the summer of

1964, so the job was changed to two sixmonth periods. mid-Octobecrto mid-April of 1983-84 and 1984-85 / The late start was' blamed on* bureaucratic snafus; the late completion on all sorts of unforeseen mechanical problems. Contractor is Raymond International Builders of Houston, Tex. IN A RELATED MATTER, freeholders April 8 okay, by a 3- 1 vote, another $7,500 in engineering fees for "extra work" done by A.G. Lichtenstein & Associates. North Jersey consulting firm that designed the bridge reconstruction.

MIS Director Calvin Greble Ooru word

Maybe Smaller Is Better? County Cool to Larger MUA Board

By JOE ZELNIK COURT HOUSE — Freeholders last week showed little enthusiasm for a county MUA (Municipal Utilities Authority) request that its board be increased to seven members instead of the present five members and two alternates. A letter from MUA chairman William F.X. Band said seven would be "a good working number for the business of the

authority. This makeup would reflect a geographically proportionate and diversified membership resulting in an optimum size board for dialogue and decision-making." "I'm opposed." responded FreeholderDirector William E. Sturm Jr. "If I had my way. I'd make it three. There's sometimes something to be said for boss rule." COMPOSITION OF the MUA board was

-A Bargain , Except for Deliveryps COURT HOUSE — Freeholders last where the maximum width for vehicles on week agreed to buy a large, used bulldozer highways is more like eight feet, from federal government surplus for DURING THE DISCUSSION with $4,000. freeholders April 8, Clark said. "I've Now if they can just figure out how to get always heard, obn't buy what you don't it here. need, even if it's cheap. I'm trying to find County Engineer Neil O. Clarke and where we could use a piece of equipment Assistant Road Supervisor Wayne M. like this." Brodbeck suggested the purchase after "We need a dozer right now at the county Brodbeck inspected a similar machine in airport," said Brodbeck "We worked all Brigantine. winter and still have six months work." Brodbeck told this newspaper it could be He told this newspaper the airport work used for emergency storm repairs on the involves extending the clearance zone at dunes at Strathmere and South Cape the end of runways Meadows. "SOME TIME AGO you got a surplus The 26-ton machine is at Fort Belvoir, crane." said Sturm "How often have you Va., and the price is a fraction of a new used it?" one. But Brodbeck returned from a look "We haven't used it yet," replied there last Thursday with some doubts Brodbeck about getting an almost- 12-feet-wide dozer "It's sitting there rusting." said Sturm, here through four states — Virginia, "And spare parts are tough." Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey — (Page 28 Please)

a political problem in February when the freeholders were deadlocked over filling two vacancies. At that time, Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick, anticipating a problem getting fellow Ocean City resident Daniel Riley appointed, suggested compromise: "eliminating the two alternates" and creating a nine-member commission. But the board delayed action and. five days later, after some heavy Ocean City pressure, passed over alternate Robert Manifold of Cape May and appointed Riley by a 3-1 vote. As they had done with the MUA vacancy issue, the freeholders commented on the latest proposal April 8 with all the caution of one tiptoeing through a minefield. "I HAVE NO PROBLEM with the concept," said Herbert Frederick. "I'd like to analyze it more. I don't want it too cumbersome." "We'd get representation from places not represented," offered Ralph Evans. "This places the board in the same situation," said Gerald M Thornton. "Every municipality will not be represented and every one wants to be. I'm not sure two more will solve the problem and past conflicts." "With large amounts of construction," said Evans, "they're overwhelmed. "'Once that's over, I think they can get along the way they are." "THEY'RE SUPPOSED to set policy," said Sturm. "Too many times they get involved deeper and deeper. It's their job to (Page 28 Please)

* Paperless Society ' For County By JOE ZELNIK COURT HOUSE - Freeholders bias against images shown on a screen has struck again. Last October, an MUA consultant gave a 90-minute slide show on resource recovery. The proposed plant hasn't been heard from since. Last month, county firemen, seeking a $35,000 appropriation for an expanded office of fire marshal, inflicted on the freeholders a 27-minute slide show about the Camden County operation. The ! firemen got $10,000. Last week, two computer firms made their pitches to sell the county a $350,000 "state-of-the-art" data processing system. WANG LABORATORIES used an overhead projector to give a 27-minute presentation. Honeywell Information System used a plain old flipchart with red and blue writing on a white background for its 32-minute presentation. Honeywell won. Actually, county officials later admitted, tfiey had made up their minds in advance, but Wang nevertheless wanted an opportunity to make its presentation. There was no competitive bidding requirement since both firms are on a state contractors' list. They were the finalists from a search that started with eight firms, county officials said. THE NEW COMPUTER system is a major step that will be financed later this year with $400,000 in bond anticipation notes, according to Freeholder-Director William E. Sturm Jr.* "This will be a complete update of the county's information management systems.' he said. "It leads us into the paperless society where everything is done via computer Instead of 50 filing cabinets, we'll have memory banks." (Page 53 Please) »