Herald NEWS DI GESTS ‘Wanted’ No More RIO GRANDE — Alvin King, 40, whose identity was published here May 27 as ALWAYS wanted by Cape May County law en- AVAILABLE forcement for violation of drug court and ONLINE originally for fraudulent use of a credit card, was captured in Philadelphia May 28, Index...See Page A3 according to Sheriff Gary Schaffer. “Some- one saw his picture in the Herald and gave us his address. He was picked up by the Philadelphia Fugitive Unit,” Schaffer (Page A2 Please) PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY THE SEAWAVE CORP. Vol. 45 No. 22 Copyright 2009 Seawave Corp. All rights reserved. June 3, 2009 1508 Route 47, Rio Grande NJ 08242-1402 On Deck Effi ciency May Scotland and Doom Prospect Ireland march into Historic Cold Spring Village this Of ‘Home Rule’ weekend. By JACK FICHTER See the rest of TRENTON — How many small towns the story should exist in this state? What is a reasonable inside on page B1. cost — to taxpayers — for services such as police protection? The Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization and Consolidation Commission (LUARCC), ONLINE created by the state legislature, met at the De- partment of Community Affairs headquarters ACTIVITY here May 28. Past 7 Days The commission will recommend legisla- www.CapeMayCountyHerald.com tive changes, which would encourage more MOST POPULAR ARTICLES: efficient operation of local government. Those changes may include the structural and Watch Live Testimony in the Trial administrative streamlining of county and of Robert Higbee municipal government functions, including Posted: Wed, 05/06/2009 - 1:33pm but not limited to, the transfer of functions 20,365 reads, 78 Comments from one level of government to another and UPDATE: Court House Woman Charged the use or establishment of regional service with DUI in Route 9 Rollover delivery entities. Posted: Fri, 05/29/2009 - 3:06am Al Campbell The commission’s job is to study and report 2,979 reads, 2 Comments Second graders in Middle Township Elementary No. 1 perform “Americans We, a Cel- on the structure and functions of county and ebration of the People, by the People, for the People” on May 29 at the Middle Township municipal government. MOST WATCHED VIDEOS: Performing Arts Center. For slideshow with 14 more photos of the event, visit www. Commission Chairman Jack Fisher told the Flying Over Cape May's Beach Avenue: capemaycountyherald.com and go to the Community section, Schools. Herald while many people focus on the merger End to End and consolidation; sometimes LUARCC looks Posted: Sun, 05/31/2009 - 11:08am, 484 Views at consolidation of services and not govern- ments. One Airlifted After Multi-Vehicle Crash Wildwood Recall Hinges on Names, “Most of what we are focused on is coming on Sea Isle Blvd up with what are the best practices in terms Posted: Wed, 05/27/2009 - 4:28pm, 537 Views Do Petitions Have 615 Signatures? of reasonable amount of delivered services,” MOST ACTIVE SPOUT OFF THREADS: By LAUREN SUIT properly registered to vote at the time they he said. Fisher said the commission is trying to deter- Religious Freedom? signed the petitions. mine what is a reasonable cost for a municipal 1068 Views, 52 replies WILDWOOD — The city clerk’s offi ce will City offi cials would not comment on the sta- announce today whether the committee at- tus of the recall petitions until June 3 at 4 p.m. (Page A5 Please) California High Court Upholds tempting to remove from offi ce Mayor Ernie Because that was too late for the print Herald’s Gay Marriage Ban Troiano Jr. and Commissioner Bill Davenport deadline, readers should go to www.capemay- Will Ponderlodge 999 views, 50 replies was able to collect 615 signatures from regis- countyherald.com to see if the recall petitions tered voters in the city. gathered suffi cient verifi able signatures. Live Anew or Die? Trooper Higbee City Clerk Chris Wood and his staff had If Wood determines adequate number of from May 19 until today to verify signatures signatures has been collected, and that deter- By JACK FICHTER as being from Wildwood residents who were (Page A2 Please) Testifi es; Judge VILLAS — Meetings are continuing between Richard Stockton College, Sen. Jeff Van Drew, Fearful of High Dune ‘Destruction,’ Lower Township offi cials and the state Depart- Denies Acquittal ment of Environmental Protection (DEP) to Avalon Residents Oppose Pool Plan determine if the college will lease the former By LAUREN SUIT AND JOE HART Ponderlodge and convert the main building into By LESLIE TRULUCK value decline in opposition of allowing a larger an environmental education center. COURT HOUSE — N.J. State Trooper structure on the high dunes. Van Drew told the Herald a meeting was held Robert Higbee testifi ed Monday that he had AVALON — Concerned residents crowded Solicitor Stephen Barse said issues began in last week in his offi ce with about 15 people no memory of the Sept. 27, 2006 fatal crash Avalon Borough Hall May 27 to object to an ap- 2006 when the applicant, Coyle Connolly at including Lower Township Mayor Michael for which he is facing two counts of vehicular plication to expand and add a pool to a property 5109 Dune Drive, requested to develop the Beck, Township Manager Kathy McPherson, homicide. located in the high dune system. (Page A5 Please) (Page A4 Please) On that date just after 10 p.m., Higbee’s pa- Final decision will be made by borough coun- trol car crashed into a minivan that Christina, cil, after recommendations from the combined 19, and Jacqueline, 17, Becker were traveling Planning/Zoning Board, which serves only Bond Will Fund Library’s Upgrades in. Those two cars then struck a third vehicle, as an advisory board since council passed a occupied by Robert and Michael Taylor, which resolution demoting its authority at council’s By AL CAMPBELL Branch, $1.95 million for Lower Township was stopped across the intersection of Stage- meeting May 5. branch, $6.6 million each for Stone Harbor coach and Tuckahoe roads. A near-capacity crowd of about 50 residents CREST HAVEN — Reappointments by and Sea Isle City, and $715,000 for the Cape The Becker sisters were pronounced dead attended the public hearing and voiced an array freeholders of Lawrence Allen of Court House May County Park Branch. (Page A31 Please) of concerns from ecological impact to property and Eileen Massey of Sea Isle City to the Cape Asked later in the meeting about the park- May County Library Commission were not zoo branch library, County Administrator Ste- the only mention of the library at the May 26 phen O’Connor told Downey plans were still in Florine ‘Mom’ Ball Marks Centennial freeholders meeting. the making, although not a total move. WHITESBORO — Attired in white dress The podium from which Thompson spoke Allen and Massey will begin new fi ve-year Downey asked if plans still called for the with veiled hat to match, Florine “Mom” Ball was decorated with a plaque that read, “Florine terms that will expire May 25, 2014, according Prosecutor’s Offi ce to relocate to the present celebrated her 100th birthday May “Mom” Ball, for her devotion and to a resolution. main library branch on Mechanic Street. 31 with members of the First Baptist commitment to First Baptist Church, A $30.4-million bond ordinance was in- “Probably not,” replied O’Connor. Church of Whitesboro, where she has May 31, 2009.” troduced that authorizes issuance of $25.2 He said the county is doing a study of the been a member since 1951. When Ball was born, President million in bonds to fi nance various county zoo-library connection. Her birthday was the prior day, William Howard Taft, the nation’s projects, among them new libraries in Sea Isle “The library cannot accommodate the May 30. 27th chief executive, was in the City and Stone Harbor, and one at the County amount of use it is getting,” he said. According to Rev. George Thomp- White House. Park-Zoo. O’Connor said libraries are more “about son, who opened birthday cards and On the day of her birth, May 30, Sea Isle City resident Teresa Downey asked programming” than books at the present. read greetings to the centenarian, Ball 1909, the National Conference on what the large bond amount would fi nance. He said the county was eying “some kind of FLORINE was born in Georgia and came to the the Negro convened. That gather- Library improvements and roads, responded relationship so the zoo can hold” sessions in “MOM” BALL Whitesboro area in 1951. ing led to the establishment of the Freeholder Director Daniel Beyel. the new facility. “She has been a faithful member since National Association for the Advancement of Of the sum, $17 million is targeted for O’Connor said some Middle Township then,” said the pastor. Colored People. library improvements, he said. residents and elected offi cials ho “want to “All of us (congregation) are her children,” A month prior (April 6), Adm. Robert R. Asked for a breakdown, Beyel said $305,000 have a presence of the library in the Court he added with a smile, since Ball has none. (Page A2 Please) was for Cape May library, $980,000 for Upper (Page A2 Please) A2 www.CapeMayCountyHerald.com Herald Newspapers June 3 2009 Marks Centennial (From Page A1) Peary reached the North Pole. Ball was joined at the long table in mid-room by two HEARING LOSS? others in their 90s who either were celebrating, or did so the prior Sunday. Experience new solutions to old problems, Lillie Mae Johnson, 93, born in 1916, lives in Whites- boro and has been a member at First Baptist Church for ALL TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE* over 50 years.