4 Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 18 June '86

' - B The Wildwoods • ^ k* =- M A ^ Thomas Parsons # ^ "=^138 ^ _

The Wildwood Marina, at the foot of the George Redding Bridge is one of the state's busiest and more popular boating centers. Its status, however, is soon to increase dramatically. Captain Bill and Diane Henfy, North Wildwoodians and owners of the lea Raider and the Delta Lady have expanded their operations to include a boat rental business within the Wildwood Marina Complex. Called B & B Boat Rentals, the operation will be managed by 20Belton. who has been managing the affairs aboard the Sea Raider. The new venture promises to add a lot of fun to a vacationer s day and we offer best wishes in the endeavor RUMORS, fairly well substantiated, have indicated that the jewel of the Wildwood fleet will soon be docking at the Wildwood Marina. A nameless (so far) local businessman has ordered a large "mini-Love Boat" from a firm in Maryland. To be dubbed the Royal Princess, the 150-foot seagoing ship will be used as a dinner ship and an evening cruise vessel. The Royal Princess will depart from the Marina three times daily. featuring a sea-going brunch for 450 people in the mid-morning. Dinner, dancing, and cocktails in the evening, and again, a late night departure will feature partying galore. This is one venture that success is certainty, and its inclusion in ' the Greater Wildwood's tourism industry is a most welcome one. We may not have gotten our aquarium, but we now can boast of having a $2 million dollar floating extravaganza. Next week. I'll tell you who the owner is! A FEW WEEKS ago. I mentioned that a well known and popular eatery was in the process of being sold. Confidentiality precluded my revealing the property, but it has recently gone to settlement, so here's the info... Al and Mary Kurtz have operated Kurtz Restaurant for the past 23 yeqrs. It has been in their family even longer, ever since Al's parents purchased the property in 1942! It has indeed become an institution. They will be missed as their restaurant was recently sold to the Leckner family from the Pittsburgh and Wildwood Crest area. Conducted by Nancy Simon from the Calloway Agency, the transition seems to have been a smooth one and a recent visit to the eatery showed the same good food and cordial service. That's good news, as the Leckners have a tradition to follow. We wish both the Kurtz family and the Leckners the best of luck in their new lifestyles. IN THE HAPPY Birthday area. I seem to be the last person around to wish Roger Douglas a Happy Fiftieth Birthday! I've

seen posters, news ads, and even heard of the T-Shirts commemorating the noteworthy event. Douglas seems to be a very- popular guy! Head of maintenance at the Margaret Mace School, Douglas makes up the other half of the "Rhinestone Custodians" with Grover Bradshaw as the other half. Douglas' birthday was noted by the staff and faculty at the North Wildwood institution, and his picture was permenantly enshrined within the framework of the Johhny Mop Award. We wish him well as he enters his second half -century. I HEARD from Dorrit Cummings last week. As usual it was a nice conversation with a very personable person. We discussed the EXISTING Fisherman's Memorial that is in place in the park on Andrews Avenue next to the "Little School House". Established by E. Z. Fox. the Fisherman's Memorial has been in place for many, many years, and our conversation revolved around the occasional bit of controversy that arises concerning the location and erection of the new Fisherman's Memorial. I suppose if participants knew that they were discussing the funding and establishment of the county's second Fisherman's Memorial the issue would be a bit less controversial at times. If you are interested, you may visit the park and memorial at the location in Wildwood. The park is being attended to under the mayor's plan to beautify the existing parks and the area is quite nice. You will find the location on Andrews Avenue between Pacific and New Jersey Avenues on the South side of the street. LAST SUNDAY. I received a call from Marie Geiger. who informed me that the Tall Cedars of North America had voted to return to the Wildwoods for the convention of 1988. That's good news. Of late, I seem to be mentioning the convention director and her staff with increasing frequency. For good reason, obviously! It is sometimes difficult for the individual business owner to fathom the total concept of a convention's impact. Understandable, as he or she has time to witness only the direct results as it pertains to his or her business. But most assuredly, the total impact of a convention like the Tall Cedars is monumental. CONSIDER 8,000 people visiting the Wildwoods seeking 4,000 rooms for a minimum of three nights at an average of $50 per night. That alone is a $600,000 economic benefit to the communities While here, the 8.000 visitors will spend an average of $200 per person as the calculated and accepted industry statistic. Add another $1,600,000 to the benefit. In short, what has just happened is that Geiger and staff have just at-

tracted a $2,200,000 piece of business for the Wildwoods! That's great news. In most business circles, had a sales administrator just signed a $2 million dollar account with the firm, there would be dinners, commemorations, annual awards for the individual, and accolades coming from all segments of the firm's hierarchy. But this is the Wildwoods, and I hope somebody thought to thank the staff for a job well done. Anyhow, the Tall Cedars are returning and there is a good chance that they will vote to return again in 1989. Hopefully their consideration will be positive. The organization is in search of a convention "home" and if all goes well, perhaps the Wildwoods will be it! ROAD RECONSTRUCTION in Wildwood Crest is coming to a close. The work being done all along Park and New Jersey avenues is the final stages of the Cruz Construction contract to install the outfall lines for the MUA plant. According to Mayor Frank McCall, the firm is laying 100,000 pounds of road material per day and the road work will go on until approximately Saturday. AH residents have long awaited the day when the machinery and crews depart the area. Not much longer! IN A RELATED note, in my conversation with Mayor McCall, he noted that next year there will be a complete resurfacing of Atlantic Avenue through to Jefferson Avenue. A much needed project and great steps ahead... According to McCall the repaving will be done with a grant recently received. Total cost to the borough is the $30,000 in engineering fees. That certainly is a bargain by anybody's standards! What makes the project even more unusual is the fact that the grant was issued to Wildwood AND Wildwood Crest in a cooperative effort! IT'S ABOUT time! This means that Atlantic Avenue will be resurfaced from 26th Street south, through Wildwood and will continue to Jefferson Avenue. I can remember a few years ago. North Wildwood received a grant to repave "their" Atlantic Avenue and the other municipalities complained that they were not afforded the opportunity to seek inclusion in the effort. Maybe those days are gone by, since we have had a complete leadership change in each of the communities. Crest residents can also anticipate the reconstruction of the portion of Ocean Avenue that extends from Cresse to Farragut. According to McCall the studies are being done and the work will begin within a year or so. j If completed. Ocean Avenue's resurfacing^VHl represent the last 'hit of road work necessary to complete the total repaving of Wildwood Crest. It's

been a long process, but a necessary one. Bill Bolle of North Wildwood was graduated recently from Glassboro State College with a degree in business management.

Advisory Meetings

COURT HOUSE - The schedule of meetings for the remainder of the year has been set up by the Middle Township Mayor's Traffic Advisory Committee. Regular meetings will be at 4 p.m. at Township Hall as foUows: Monday, June 23; Monday, July 21 ; Monday. Aug. 25; Monday, Sept. 22; Monday, Oct. 20; Friday, Nov. 7; Monday, Dec. 8.

Site Plan Review SubCommittee Meetings 1. WiU be at 3 p.m. prior to all regular meetings. Supplementary meetings will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Zoning/Construction Office: Monday, June 9; Monday, July 7; Monday, Aug. 11; Monday, Sept. 8; Friday, Oct. 10.

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Maureen Coylr FANCY FOOD — At left, home economist Marion Olsen of Margate, left, and 4-H agent Betty Jean Jesnncosky of South Seaville. both from the county Extension Service, judge entrys in the Fourth Annual Seafood Festival cooking contest Saturday. At right. Dennis Kozak of Succasunna. left, and Rene Wentworth of McKee City, both students at the Academy of Culinary Arts, Mays Landing, demonstrate radish and carrot carving for plate garnishes.

Police Academy Coming

(From Page 1) each municipality on its own. Halton headed the summer police training last year on a part-time basis, but the new state rules require that training be upgraded to 300 hours (eight weeks) effective Oct. 1. The new department is located at the Public Safety Training Center at Crest Haven. It also uses the vo-tech school for some classes. THE SUMMER POLICE receive academic instruction in such things as criminal law plus training in firearms and "crash injury management," Halton said. Halton is a native of Hudson County who spent mo6t of his adult life in Monmouth County. He said he expects to move to this county. He has two sons, one a New Jersey state trooper, the other a sociology professor at Notre Dame University. Halton was a state police officer from 1952 until retiring in 1976. He then was public safety director in Bricktown, Ocean County, for three years, and assistant director of security at the Sands Hotel/Casino for four years. He has a BS in criminal justice from Trenton State College and has been teaching hotel and casino security at Atlantic Community College. He also was an instructor and administrator at the State Police Academy for eight years. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOW a two-person department, there also is a range master, Ralph Jenner, assigned to the county Facilities and Services Department. And Halton said he "may need another person" when the local training program is expanded. Transfer of Currens apparently resolves a problem the freeholders have kept behind closed doors. She was the nominee of Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick Jr., fellow Ocean City resident, for the post of deputy clerk to the board of freeholders last year. Instead, they in April. 1985, chose Florence T. Hee of Town Bank, the choice of then Freeholder-Director Gerald M Thornton. In January. Kilpatrick voted against the reorganization of the Department of Economic Development (DED), where Currens was a clerk-stenographer. He declined to say why. THAT REORGANIZATION created two

new "deputy" positions and promoted Currens to the title of "administrative secretary." But last month, she was returned to her original title, while retaining her salary of $21,414. "My freeholder (Herbert Frederick) and I decided that job Pat was shooting for was really not necessary in the department," Walters Sachs Jr., Economic Development director, told this newspaper at the time. Frederick told this newspaper Monday that Currens' original title change at DED. later rescinded, was "provisional." And he said she went to Public Safety at Kilpatrick's request. "They needed someone experienced in the new department," said Frederick. LAST WEEK. Sachs said it "hasn't been decided" whether Currens will be replaced at Economic. Development "We have reassigned the major things she was doing to other people in the department," he said. "Based on how that works out, we will decide whether to replace her or get a lower-level secretary to help." DED currently has two full-time secretaries, he said. Currens has been with the county since September, 1983. Freeholder-Director William E. Sturm Jr. last week said her transfer to Public Safety had nothing to do with the forced resignation of former Economic Development Executive Director A.H. Childs last September. Sturm said Currens' transfer was "a kind of promotion" because it offered "a better opportunity for her in a new department much closer to home." Public Safety is at Crest Haven; Economic Development at the airport. Sturm also said he didn't think DED would replace Currens. SOURCES SAID the KilpatrickThornton disagreement over the deputy clerk post was one of the factors that cost Thornton a second term as freeholderdirector this year. Thornton and Kilpatrick had a bitter disagreement in February over appointments to the county Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA). And Frederick and Kilpatrick have differed recently over whether vo-tech, headed by Kilpatrick, or the Office of Employment and Training, which Frederick heads, should be offering certain jobrelated courses.