Cape May Point making it a point to recycle correctly

LT to dissolve MUA: Plans for separate facility

Roadblocks and progressBy CHRISTOPHER

SOUTHCape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY – During hismonthly report, city managerLou Corea talked aboutprogress on improvementsbeing made in the city, butalso commented on citizenactions he believes made theimprovements hard to imple-ment.

“Unfortunately, the yearalso witnessed the continuingrancor between the city and afew individuals who, underthe guise of being the peo-ple’s white knight, spreadmisinformation, ridiculed theindividuals responsible forapproving and implementingthose projects representingthe best interests of our resi-

dents, and placed road blocksin the paths of well thoughtout and needed improve-ments,” he said.

Corea said the efforts ofcertain individuals resultedin delays and increased costto the same people theyclaimed to represent.

The city had to defendagainst a lawsuit intended tostop the upgrade of theWashington Street Mall. Theplaintiffs argued that the mallmerchants were the mainbeneficiaries of the upgrade,yet all the taxpayers werefooting the bill. The suitclaimed the city was violatingits own ordinance by notrequiring mall property own-ers to pay for upgrades tosidewalk areas. The judgeultimately dismissed the case

saying the city was making apublic improvement.

Corea said the problems inCape May, which were por-trayed as a tidal wave, “wouldnot even equate to a ripple inmost other cities.”

In his address, Corea high-lighted some of the improve-ments already made, includ-ing the expansion of the gar-den and flower program,including new plantings atthe city’s gateway.

Corea said it was time forthe “overwhelming majority”of the property owners whosupport the city’s revitaliza-tion effort to voice supportfor “much needed projects,”in order to “drown out thevocal minority,” and putthings in perspective.

By LESLIE TRULUCKCape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY POINT –Confusion about the properpreparation of recyclablematerials lead commissionersto organize a presentation togive residents specific infor-mation about the brown bagleaf program.

Cape May CountyMunicipal Utility Authority(MUA) RecyclingCoordinator BridgetO’Connor explained the coun-ty’s guidelines and benefits ofrecycling at the regular meet-ing Dec. 13.

Cape May Point requiresmandatory recycling underlocal ordinance requiring res-idents and visitors to recyclein compliance with thestatewide Source Separation

and Recycling Act. The borough used a mini

grant to purchase brown bagsthat will decompose withrecycled leaves. The programis a more efficient systemthan using manpower to pourleaves from plastic bags atthe MUA plant. The brownbags are available at thePublic Works office.

Residents are encouragedto recycle leaves, grass clip-pings, twigs less than a halfinch in diameter, plant debrisincluding stems, flowers,roots, pine needles, acorns,sweet gum seed pods andpine cones in the brown bags.

O’Connor said the rule ofthumb should be that twigsshould not exceed an adult’spinkie finger in diameter.

Meadow grass and phrag-mites are not accepted for

composting because of iodinefound in it and they should bedisposed with the regulartrash.

Once the brown bag com-post materials reach the recy-cling plants in Woodbine andBurleigh, they begin theseven-month compostingprocess and eventuallybecome marketed topsoil.

O’Connor said the MUA’sroot mulch and teragrow havecompetitive nutrient valuescompared to the large brand-name companies.

The compost pile producesmethane gas, a known green-house gas, which is burned togenerate electricity for theWoodbine plant. The plantcreated so much methane gasit has become energy inde-pendent.

Since April the Woodbine

plant receives negativeAtlantic City Electric billsbecause of the abundance ofmethane gas used to powerthe facility is rolling over.

“The authority has chosento invest in a facility that cap-tures this gas and utilizes it as

an alternative form of fuel forinternal combustion enginesand produce electricity inorder to reduce our relianceon conventionally generatedpower. This will save approx-imately $175,000 per year inenergy costs,” Executive

Director Charles Norkis saidvia press release.

Les Tony of the CMP PublicWorks office said he is avail-able between 8-8:30 a.m. forresidents to sign out brown

Please see Point, Page A5

By LESLIE TRULUCK Cape May Star and Wave

LOWER TOWNSHIP –Lower Township Councildecided last week that it willturn the Municipal UtilitiesAuthority from a separateauthority into a municipaldepartment.

Mayor Walt Craig said themove should save money andlet the township work pro-actively to ensure there isenough potable water for

Lower in the future.“We hope to be able to

address in a more timelyfashion the crisis we are fac-ing as far as potable watergoes,” Craig said.

Officials said there is noplan to sell the MUA to a pri-vate firm or the county utili-ties authority.

Craig, Councilman GlennDouglass, and township solic-itor Paul Baldini met withMUA Board Chairman PeterBiting, board member

Charles Garrison and MUAsolicitor Jeff Barns Dec. 19.The MUA asked for the meet-ing.

Craig said the private meet-ing lasted a little more thanan hour and concluded whenhe informed the authority ofcouncil’s intention to moveforward with the dissolutionof MUA.

“They (the MUA) requestedthe meeting with us and itappeared to be an attempt totry to persuade us not to move

forward with the obvious pos-sibility of moving to dissolu-tion,” Craig said.

“We called the meeting tofind out if they were going totake over and if they plan tokeep the help,” said Biting.

He added MUA employeesare concerned the dissolutionwould leave them unem-ployed.

Craig said he will meet withthe MUA employees Dec. 28in an attempt to allay theirfears.

“They (council) said theywouldn’t sell it (the MUA),but they said there might bedifferent placement of posi-tions,” Biting said.

Town Manager Joe Jacksonsaid employees currentlyworking for the MUA wouldhold the same positions underthe township department.

“There will be some unityand certainty we won’t havecommunication gaps as we

Please see MUA, Page A2

Cape Ma WaveStar153rd YEAR NO. 52 CAPE MAY, N.J. 50¢SERVING AMERICA’S NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK CITY

OUTDOORSCape May Nature

Center looks back at2007, B1

ARTSLouisa May Alcott’sChristmas tells of simpler times, A3

CAPE MAYTall and small fishing

tales, B2

INSIDE

12/27 10:12 10:50 3:38 4:3512/28 11:01 11:43 4:31 5:2412/29 11:50 5:26 6:1212/30 12:37 12:41 6:24 7:0012/31 1:32 1:35 7:24 7:481/1 2:24 2:30 8:24 8:331/2 3:17 3:26 9:24 9:20

DEC./JAN. TIDE TABLE

HIGH LOWam pm am pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2007

2007: A look back at past year headlines(Editor’s note: This is the first

installation in a look back at 2007.)

January 2007

Lady Tigers win Big AlMemorial Classic

WILDWOOD – The “three-head-ed attack” of Stephanie Agger,Victoria Wermuth and StephanieDugan combined for 44 points inLower Cape May’s 52-40 win overNeshaminy in the Big Al MemorialClassic, Dec. 27. Head coach RoyWright named all three players asco-MVPs in the win over the Lady(Red)Skins from Langhorne, Pa.

Warm weather affects Cape areaMOUNT HOLLY – Unseasonably

warm winter experienced by peo-ple in the eastern region of theUnited States left people wonder-ing if winter would ever arrive, orif fall will just turn into spring.Anthony Gigi, a meteorologist withthe National Weather Serviceworking out of Mount Holly, saidthe weather tends to balance out,saying if its not cold in the winter ittends to be cold in the spring.

Cape May Stage receives large pledge

CAPE MAY – Cape May Stagerecently received a pledge of$200,000 for Project Encore – thecampaign to restore and renovatethe leased theatre building at Bankand Lafayette Street. The donation

was made by theMartel/Shackleton family in honorof Cape May resident LeslieShackleton Martel’s father, RobertShackleton. The playhouse wassubsequently named the RobertShackleton Playhouse in his memo-ry.

Lower Township managerresigns in closed session

VLLAS – At the Jan. 17 meeting ofLower Township Council, the coun-cil and city manager went intoclosed session, and when they cameout the township did not have a citymanager.

The township council then voted4-1 to accept the resignation ofKathy McPherson as township

manager. Councilman WayneMazurek cast the only no vote.

McPherson remained the person-nel director, the job she continuedto hold while performing the dutiesof township manager.

February

Municipalities continue to workon fair housing issues despite

appellate court decisionWEST CAPE MAY – On Jan. 25

an appeals court struck down rulesgoverning affordable housing pro-grams required of New Jerseymunicipalities under Council onAffordable Housing (COAH) regu-lations. The court said COAH rules

LaManna’s ‘Lady Fair’

Cape May Star and Wave file photos2007 saw the closing of St. Raymond’s Roman Catholic School in Villas as well an extraordinarily warm temperatures during most of the winter months.

By LESLIE TRULUCKCape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY – “LadyFair,” piano soloist SteveLaManna’s fifth album, isdedicated “to all theladies.”

LaManna is regularlyseen behind the piano atCongress Hall’s BrownRoom.

“Lady Fair” is a compila-tion of solo renditions ofrock and jazz includingsongs written by VanMorrison, Billy Joel andBob Dylan.

“I try to personally inter-pret the songs in terms ofwhat I think the composerwas expressing musicallyand poetically,” he said.

“The new CD is what I’vebeen trying to achieve inmy recordings: a clearstatement of how I interpretthe composition.”

He gives a lot of credit tohis wife and recording engi-neer Lila LaManna. Theyrecorded “Lady Fair” in themiddle of the night at theirhome in South Dennis.

“We wanted to avoid noisefrom the highway,” LilaLaManna said, standingbeside her husband at thealbum-signing event Dec.22.

LaManna has regularlyperformed in Cape Maysince 1990 and releasedfour albums in the 1990s.

“Some fans have waited10 years for this album,”LaManna said.

He describes his latest as“a mix of various melodiesfrom various time frames.”

“I’ve never been able tofigure a name for the genre,

Please see Lady, Page A2

Leslie Truluck/Cape May Star and WaveSteve and Lila LaManna at the “Lady Fair” CD signing atCongress Hall’s Brown Room last Saturday.

The Starand Wave

wisheseveryone a

healthy,safe and

veryHappy

New Year!