Herald NEWS It's DI GESTS Inside. One Week to Go It's Your RIO GRANDE — Deadline for this Year-Round newspaper’s annual holiday edition, which will appear Dec. 20, is 5 p.m. Dec. 13, Guide. only one week away. Share your past or present holiday thoughts, stories, poems, photos, with 75,000 Herald readers. Email [email protected] and put “holiday piece” in the subject line, fax to 609-886- 1879, mail to Joe Zelnik, Editor, Cape May County Herald, 1508 Route 47, Rio Grande, PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY THE SEAWAVE CORP. NJ 08242, or drop it off at the offi ce. Vol. 42 No. 48 Copyright 2006 Seawave Corp. All rights reserved. December 6, 2006 1508 Route 47, Rio Grande NJ 08242-1402 Flu Shot Surplus Desiderio COURT HOUSE — An apparent low turnout for the county’s fi nal, 2006 free Asking $2M drive-through fl u shot clinic Dec. 3 has left the county with some 1,600 doses, accord- To Begin ing to the Communications Offi ce, which could not provide the number of shots given Waterfront Dec. 3. The county, which has administered more than 6,300 shots, will hold three Park at JFK “catch-up clinics” at the Health Department By JOE ZELNIK in Crest Haven from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 15 and 22. Also available: free pneumococ- SEA ISLE CITY — Mayor cal vaccine. Community groups are invited Leonard Desiderio will to organize their own clinics for a minimum put $2 million for the of 40 persons over age 18. Call the Health fi rst phase of the planned Department at 465-6576 for information. Excursion Waterfront Park in the 2007 budget he MUA Budget Hearings submits. But what happens then SWAINTON — Today’s the day for the will depend on the new, county MUA’s annual public hearings on its Al Campbell fi ve-member commission wastewater budget and user charges, due to Teddy Bear Tea brings youngsters and their favorite Teddies to Wetlands Institute Dec. 2. Watching peers that will be elected in increase 3.75 percent, and its solid waste display friendly bears are from left, Briar Rose Lemma, 3, of Court House; Francesca Trimble, 5, of Stone May, he told the county budget, with user fees down 50 cents per Harbor; and Bridgette Maxwell, 8, of West Wildwood. Open Space Review Board ton for municipal waste, but up $2.50 a ton Nov. 28. for construction and demolition waste. The “I can’t look into a crys- former is at 4 p.m., the latter at 6:30 p.m. ‘We Are Marshall’ Opens Dec. 22 tal ball,” said Desiderio, a Location: the administration building, 1523 Republican freeholder who Route 9 North. has said he will be on the A Local Link to Plane Crash, Aftermath local ballot in the nonpar- tisan election. Still Resisting By LAUREN HUGGINS The crash rocked the foundation of ing of the community of Huntington The county Open Space Huntington, W.Va., and was labeled is much more than a movie to CREST HAVEN — The Job Connection’s program purchased the CLERMONT — Jerry Sieber was the worst air disaster in American Sieber. He and nine other Wildwood move to Wildwood from Rio Grande is “in- site, nine-tenths of an acre bumped from the doomed flight sports history. High School alumni, including Tom evitable,” Darlene Major of the Job Connec- at JFK Boulevard and the 932, carrying the 1970 Marshall Thirty-six years later, Sieber, 60, Palmer, Ray Reuter, Bob Saettler, Tom tion told freeholders Nov. 28, but she still promenade, in the fall of University football team, when he and now a physical education teacher Jargarson, Janeau Weiss, and Debbie wanted to present a petition with over 900 1998. At the time, the and other “nonessential personnel” at Cape May County Special Ser- Taylor, were at Marshall when the signatures opposed. The move will mean somewhat controversial gave up their seats to a number of vices School District, will relive the plane crashed. “diminished services,” she said, “but we’ll buy was the program’s team boosters. tragedy and its aftermath on the big In 1970, Sieber was a 24-year-old (Page A6 Please) most costly open space pur- All 75 people on board the plane screen when Rio Stadium Theater in student at the university. working chase and it fi nanced the — players, coach- Rio Grande opens “We Are Marshall” as an equipment manager for the $1.515 million price over es, and fans — per- on Dec. 22 for a three week run. football team under a work-study Decline in Cape Kids 10 years. It is leased to Sea ished in a crash in The ticket stub will, no doubt, program. Isle City for $1 a year. the hills of West be added to Seiber’s collection of He had gotten a tip that the team The review board has Hits Nature Programs Virginia on Nov. university memorabilia. A yellowing needed a field manager through been pushing to see some 14, 1970, as they page from the Saturday edition of the friend and football player Roger By JACK FICHTER be afraid to advertise because, action on the site of the were returning Huntington Herald-Advertiser with Childers. The interview was sealed when we started doing these former Cospar property. from a game at news of the crash, hangs framed in when Al Carelli, Jr., assistant coach CAPE MAY POINT — eight years ago, we had parents Sea Isle City offi cials were East Carolina Uni- the center of the collection at his for The Herd, mentioned that they Where have all the children trying to shove their kids into last before the board in versity to Tri-State home here. had a mutual friend that used to play gone? the room.” 2003. Desiderio last week Airport. The plane crash and the rebuild- That’s the question Cape He said all nature pro- (Page A4 Please) brought several schemat- May Point State Park Natural- grams at the park previously ics and a 27-month-old ist Matt Pelligrine asks himself required pre-registration, but 2007 Looks Great preliminary cost estimate when he sees only a handful of now crowds only come to of $3.7 million. kids turning out for events that “Frogfest” and “Kid’s Christ- County Has State’s Lowest Property Tax Rate But Board Chairman formerly attracted a crowd. mas at the Seashore.” William Quinn was less “The local population is “We were only aiming for By JOE ZELNIK county’s equalized tax rate is 16.96 cents per successful in his suggestion dwindling in Cape May and 40 kids, but at the last couple $100 of assessed value, or $169.60 for every that the city provide some West Cape,” he said. “There’s of programs we only had about CREST HAVEN — Cape May County $100,000 of assessed value. Bergen is next parking for an attraction not as many kids. We used to (Page A6 Please) government has the lowest effective prop- low, at 17.72 cents. that will seat 900 in its erty tax rate in “We provide services economically and ef- amphitheater and another the state, Trea- fi ciently,” commented Freeholder-Director Dan 900 on the surrounding surer Edmund Beyel, “and that’s what the taxpayers want.” lawn. Grant reported Grant said the comparison with the state’s “I don’t think we can to freeholders other 20 counties was “apples to apples.” do it,” said Engineer Andy Nov. 28. The effective tax rate factors in assessment Previti. “To introduce park- That’s a fi rst. ratios and thus is the fairest way to present ing on this relatively small Last year, one tax rates. site would compromise the other county, An economical government and the boom integrity of the proposal,” Bergen, had a in ratables have been cited as factors in this “We’ll look into it,” said lower rate. county’s low tax rates. Desiderio, without enthu- This year, the (Page A7 Please) (Page A38 Please) County, Windward Only $1,072,800 Apart By CHRISTINE COTE parking. Is the association still interested? AVALON — How much is 4,500 square feet “Sure, for a proper amount of money,” ac- of land here worth — if it’s a strip 18 feet wide cording to Anthony Taormina, who no longer and 252 feet long? serves as association president but is still in Windward Harbour Condominium Asso- charge of construction. ciation thought $61,000 was the right price, Taormina took the association through three but the county set its minimum bid price at diffi cult years. Windward’s 45 units on Ocean $1,133,800. Drive were completely rebuilt after a devastat- The Windward’s appraisal viewed it as ing fi re in December 2003 and litigation, by “excess land.” The county’s appraisal looked a neighbor, challenging the reconstruction of Al Campbell at it as the “highest and best use” — by the all 45 units. Tree of Life Festival, one of the highlights of the Dec. 1 Christmas in Court House, attracts Windward. After three summers without their condo- curious to the Historic Courthouse to view decorated trees sponsored by area merchants, Freeholders Nov. 20 rejected as less than the (Page A4 Please) schools and organizations. Auction of trees helped Holy Redeemer Hospice, CARA, Cape set minimum the Windward’s Oct. 27 bid for Assist and United Way of Cape May County. See page 18 for more photos. the parcel that it hoped to use for additional What's Inside...See Page 3 A2 www.CapeMayCountyHerald.com Herald Newspapers December 6 2006 Sea Grove Garden Center’s tmas Wonderl hris Arriving Daily and C The Freshest Trees Largest variety in the area! Choose from Canadian Balsam, Douglas Fir & Frasier Fir, Canaan Fir & Concolor Fir.