opinion

The Golden Edge The Warmth Of Children By DOROTHEA F. COOPER Recently we've been bombarded by the media with glowing accounts of opportunities to spend our golden years in "fabulous" retirement homes and areas. In mo6t of these enticing offers there is the idea that older folks will be free of the annoyances of children, who will be permitted on the premises only if they've been invited to spend a few hours with the retirees, but not stay overnight. Perhaps these fringe benefits may appeal to some men and women who have had it up to there with having reared their own children, or lived in a househo J of grandchildren, and want to forget the noise and confusion and live in their luxurious ivory towers with others who share their feelings. Well, fine for them, if that's their wish. Every man and woman to his or her own taste. A FEW WEEKS AGO on television there was a somber and thought-provoking presentation about the aged in America, especially the plight of those in nursing homes whose main occupation in life is sitting, thinking (if they are capable) and waiting for the next meal. No use in looking forward to visitors, because in many cases there ' aren't any. A friend of ours has occasion to take someone each week for therapy, and while she is waiting for the patient she takes her grandson, aged 4, to visit with her at a nearby nursing home. He loves it! He is blond, blue-eyed, peaches-and -creamy and very outgoing. And do they love him! As he visits various rooms the smiles and joy that light up the faces of the residents as they hold out their arms to embrace him are heart-touching. The child is so often a reminder of young ones in their own families that they no longer see. Some children don't like to be held tightly by strangers, but little J. loves it. On occasions when his grandmother leaves him at home, the old people are disappointed. "Where's our little fellow?" they ask, and wait hopefully for the next visit. There are all sorts of organizations that make visiting shut-ins and nursing home patients for birthday celebrations and social activities a part of their schedule. But the sight of a young child is a warmth that nothing else can equal. THE SIGHT AND SOUNDS of young people, especially, are part of everyone's life, particularly to those who have settled on retirement in places hundreds of miles away from their families, who miss being Pop-Pop-ed and Mom-Mom-ed and hugged and kissed. There's something about little children ... We're not talking angels here. Let's face it, there are times ! How fortuante we are in that when we first came to this area a young family moved in behind us with two little » girls — later a boy was added — who as time went by became our family away from home. Ours became a second home to them. We shared their friends, their joys, their report cards; we were the first to be privileged to purchase tickets, to donate to various school projects, eat Scout cookies and "send a boy to camp" contests. In short, all the things which we had been through in our own families. Even * their pet dog knew she had friends here when she wanted to get away from the noise and confusion, to lie peacefully in an undisturbed nap when the mood struck her. a privilege she maintained for almost sixteen years. Now those youngsters are grown and into their own in(Page 79 Please) Joseph R. Zelnik Editor Bonnie Reina General Manager Gary L. Rudy Advertising Director John Dunwoody Special Promotions Director Dajrell Kopp Publisher W«~. Co-p 19*1 am *" coj—r 'V*' *?*■•»" pvblcono* Ml b* ib* p-of*-+j ol *• S*o>o*« Corp No pa" Iwoof any bo - wodotod DEADLINES News & Photos Thursday Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. «» Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 For News or Advertising Information Mail Subscription: Yearly, $40; Six Month, $20 Call 465-5055 For News, Advertising or Subscription Information - — - , -1 , )■>■ > I of lb. HMUin V»P 1 A*T» M1 s Mte :

i Berry's World rS~ O o "Lighten up will ya, fella — can'cha see we're havin' a little party?" Looking Back The Old Woodshed By CLAIR CAMPBELL Younger folks think a woodshed was just a place to store wood — that's the natural conclusion. A woodshed, though, was a very fascinating "ketch-all". Anything I ever needed in the way of shovels, saws, hammers, rakes, hoes, bolts, nails, screws, paint brushes — well, anything, was in our woodshed! ! If you think it must have been "one glorious mess" it wasn't. Somehow my Dad kept it neat! ! Little glass jars let the contents show and tacks, screen door hooks, fishhooks (in corks), and all that, was readily found. Larger items were "up overhead" on long boards for shelves. All sorts of treasures were stored up there and also our cat, Felix, slept there. One year Robins built their nest, laid their eggs and hatched their brood up there (Page 79 Please)

Our Readers Write No More Bugs In the Broccoli To The Editor: I favor controlled (insect) spraying because of its benefits to mankind. Also, I do not believe that sevin and malathion are harmful under controlled spraying. What would we have without spraying? Wormy apples and broccoli with green caterpillars. Believe me when I say that years ago, before spraying, my dad had a garden and we had to hand-pick bugs off the plants. When my mom cooked broccoli, my favorite green, the one- inch green caterpillars floated to the top and mom would scoop them out. Once in a while one would get caught in the broccoli, and I'll tell you, it tasted awful. I'M GRATEFUL TODAY that I do not have to worry about those caterpillars; also, apples cannot be grown without worms unless they are sprayed. I doubt if any fruit or vegetable you buy in the store grew without being sprayed. It is a known fact that mo6quito6 carry diseases from animal to animal and to man. Last year, several prize horses died due to encephalitis, a disease carried by mosquitos. Two years ago, a young boy died while visiting this state from encephalitis. Do we want an epidemic, like the one that claimed many lives when we built the Panama Canal, due to mosquito kites? Not I. I DIDN'T ENJOY my broccoli with the caterpillars or the apple with the worms. My only regret is that they have not been able to eliminate New Jersey mosquitos, green heads (flies), ticks and gypsy moths completely as yet. Also, I had a co-worker who piloted spraying plans on weekends for many, many years. He never missed a day's work and was a top-rated worker. How can they explain this if sevin and malathion are so dangerous? Our house sprays for ants and roaches are probably more dangerous. JOSEPH DE GAETANI Palermo Ozone Damage Predicted To The Editor: Anyone concerned over reports of ozone damage has only to read what Peter Freuchen predicted in his amazing "Book of the Seven Seas." Many thought it far-fetched and impossible. Now they know. CLARE CAMPBELL Cape May Court House

-A Jaguar Can Be Boring An Array of Apologies

By JOE ZELNIK I like to publish all my apologies at one time in one big batch. It's less embarrassing than having one or two every week. So, apologies to : The five freeholders, whose low sense of humor ratings I reported two weeks ago. It turns out those scores, based on connecting a Sense of Humor Gauge to their big toes while they slept, were totally unreliable because there was a full moon that night. That, of course, causes mood swings and made our results suspect. In fact, the freeholders' sense of humor is comparable to other politicians. Just last Week, for example, one of them — I think it was Gerry Thornton — commented that the new, $90 potted plant in the corner was big enough for a reporter to hide behind. That's my kind of humor. I ESPECIALLY OWE an apology to Freeholder Herbert Frederick. I said the needle never moved when he was tested, and concluded that he had absolutely no sense of humor. I now learn that Republican Frederick accidentally shot himself in the big toe trying to do a fast draw on Democrat Mike Voll when both were in law enforcement in the Wildwoods in the early 1970s. Our agent, working in the dark, never realized he was connecting his humor machine to a wooden toe. I should have suspected this because I am well aware that Frederick has shot himself in the foot several times since becoming a freeholder in 1964. APOLOGIES ALSO to the dozens of restaurateurs who protested the art at the top of our front page June 25 showing a mama and poppa turtle on their way to a beach maternity ward with the message, "Please Help the Turtles." Because of that, snapper soup sales have declined 81 percent and a number of restaurants have filed for Chapter 11. Apologies to 7,906 readers who called between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. last Wednesday to ask where the hell the paper was. That was totally my fault. Impressed by the success of local businesses using f (work release) prison inmates for jobs in this county, we

hired a number of incarcerated getaway drivers to deliver our papers To put it as succinctly as possible, most of them got away — without delivering the papers FINALLY, APOLOGIES to hundreds who came to watch Miss Liberty from my yard last weekend and found me absent. I am an undercover police agent, you will remember, and I was called in on special assignment at the last moment. I was sent to a stakeout on Grant Street beach in Cape May We left two beach chairs unattended for several hours and, with darkness approaching, lay in wait. We got more than we expected. Shortly before 10, six men pounced on the chairs at almost the same time. Instead of one common thief, we ended up with a near-riot and disorderly conduct charges. The six turned out to be motel operators hoping to augment their poolside amenities. This may not be resolved for some time tecause they've retained attorney Frederick W. Schmrat Jr. who is charging the stakeout was unfair, inequitable, illogical and entrapment. There also is something in his brief about who owns the land at high tide. I CAN EMPHASIZE with the ethical dilemma of salvage operations on the beach. For example, Danielle, six next Wednesday, quickly learned and embraced the "Finders Keepers" philosophy. But we are having difficulty making it clear to her that there is a difference between forever forgotten and temporarily abandoned while taking a walk or swim. Danielle would rather find a useless, bent barrette on the beach than be given a jaguar cub — her favorite animal. The excitement of buried treasure far outweighs the predictability of anything that can be gift-wrapped. As a result, we have enough water-logged balls, splintered kites, and dog-eaten (literally) Frisbees alongside our front door to equip a used sporting goods store. ' I MYSELF AM confused about how long an item can be left before it's up for grabs. I've seen people with metal detectors ask sun bathers to please lift the corner of their blankets while they "sweep" underneath. With that kind of example, is it any wonder I live in constant fear Danielle will try to pick up a child's necklace with the child still attached?