Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 155

E20 Asbury Park Press, Sun. Oot. 28. 1979 Education Soaring Cost of Heating Oil Troubles School Officials districts to participate in energy audits to I I vl I IS si, VJ I I ji, LJ I 1 I i CxMX Aabary Park Press the gymnasium as part of a fuel-efficient system designed to hold heat generated by bodies and lights. Students leave Toms River High School East.

The building has only two windows in each classroom and none in By PATRICIA McDANIEL Press Staff Writer MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS are assured of adequate supplies of heating oil this winter but at prices that threaten to exceed budget appropriations. In some cases heating oil prices far districts have increased 50 percent over what boards budgeted last spring. The same holds true for gasoline prices to run school buses in sprawling suburban districts. Most districts, trying to keep large, usually poorly insulated buildings warm day and night, are beginning to feel the pinch. For example.

In late summer the Board of Education in Howell Township had to cut busing for some of students living within two miles of school, despite angry protests from parents. The Point Pleasant school district has been unable to get a firm price for a year's supply of heating oil or gasoline. The Toms River Regional District is "looking closely" at all requests for school trips and uses ot school facilities. FIGURES PROVIDED by the New Jersey School Boards Association show that a gallon of heating oil costs an average of 73 cents an increase of 33 percent since February. The effects of these unanticipated increases are being felt not only in the operation of school buildings, but in educational and other services, said Richard Sciria, president of the Howell Township Board of Education.

"Howell Township is especially susceptible to the increases fuel prices," Sciria said, "because we have eight separate (school) buildings and one administration building to heat" Howell, with 62 square miles, will Professor Richard classroom. "The oil burner needs to be on only on weekends and long holidays," Ms. Hanlon said, "and during the times when the school is filled with people we have to keep the burner going only at its minimum level." The school also is designed to be signed for fuel efficiency, Ms. Hanlon said. She explained that heat generated by lights and bodies when the school is filled is recirculated into a hot water tank.

The heated water then flows to the outer walls of the building, which has a minimum number of windows only two in each I ffjp Bulletin Board 4Prayer for America' Timely, Appropriate spend 168,089 on contract busing, an In- rease of about $10,000 over what was anticipated, and an increase of $30,000 over what was spent last year, according to William Robinson, the school business administrator. Sciria urged state legislators to exempt heating oil and gasoline from the mandated 5 percent budget caps in testimony before the Senate Education Committee recently. GASOLINE PRICES Increased 51 percent, and the cost of heating oil went up 35 percent in the last year. "Board surpluses are being depleted all over, and I anticipate a very difficult year ahead," Sciria said. Howell, with 3,000 elementary pupils, has been in a particularly difficult situation because of a budget that is very "tight," as Sciria put it the first budget to be aproved by the voters in 10 years.

But when heating oil and fuel prices soared, funds for some transportation services and some educational programs had to be cut, and 12 teaching positions were not filled. Reductions in transportation were strongly opposed by parents, and Sciria said they "have a case." "Parents still want quality in education and In services, and that information is not getting to the people in the Legislature," Sciria said. The state Department of Education reports relief from the cap for gasoline and heating oil expenditures is not being considered at this point. But Charlene Brown, a department representative, said that if the process of thorough and efficient education is jeopardized by budget problems, districts can apply for cap waivers. INSTEAD, THE STATE is encouraging C.

Cole collects specimens at Gateway dale; Sandy Hook is also brought to the public, through community services, printed matter, slides and college level courses. On the other hand, through study, field trips, lectures and publications, Brookdale and the public are brought to Sandy Hook. Cole believes the environmental and ma- rine curriculum he helped to develop "serves the interests and needs of the students and county residents by providing a middle of the road service" to those who enroll somewhere between an elementary survey course in biology and advanced courses for science majors in four-year schools. "Over 80 percent of our students are not science majors," Cole said. "The introductory courses stimulate and make better informed citizens on subjects like what's polluting the water and what's causing beach erosion." COLE SAYS many students who take courses in environmental science or oceanography as electives because the subject sounds like fun later become involved in their studies and choose to continue to more advanced work; some students even change their majors and go on to science careers.

Through the Community Services Divison of Brookdale, Cole plans and implements programs of interest to the general public in environmental and marine subjects. He has been chairman of the campus Earth Day. This past summer he co-ordinated "Our Coastal Resources," a lecture series bv The second general meeting at 10 a.m. Nov. 15 will consider proposed amendments to bylaws and resolutions.

The 25-year group luncheon will be held at 1 p.m. Special interest conferences will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. The convention banquet is scheduled for 6:45 p.m., and the third general meeting will be held following the banquet. Keynote speaker will be Gene Causby, assistant superintendent of public instruction, Raleigh, N.C. His address is entitled "You're the Same Thing 'Cept Double." Dr.

Fred G. Burke, state commissioner of education, will extend greetings. Reports of elections will be presented and officers installed. The awards breakfast is scheduled for 8 a.m. Nov.

16. The closing session convenes at 10:15 ajn. with a salute to local unit i conserve energy. More than two-thirds of the 614 districts in the state have participated In the audit, Ms. Brown said.

Dr. Lawrence DeBellis, superintendent of the three elementary schools and high school in Point Pleasant, said his district has had an energy audit. The district has 3,325 students and a budget of about $7 million. "We're trying to cut back, but we don't expect any drastic savings in fuel until the second year of the program," he said. Point Pleasant, like many districts, will try to consolidate field trips and athletic events to save on gasoline and the use of school facilities during off hours, DeBellis "At least if we get through the winter season with our busing, we can cut some of the high school busing in the spring, if it becomes necessary," he added.

Point Pleasant, which has been unable to obtain firm prices for fuel oil, rerising prices. THE TOMS RIVER Regional School District serves more than 80,000 residents of four municipalities and has 15 schools, including the new Toms River High School East. The district started its budget preparation last September, said Patricia Hanlon, community liaison officer, and heating oil prices increased from about 49 cents a gallon to 72 cents a gallon in August, with an average of 80 cents a gallon expected through the winter. "But at least we recieved a bid; many districts didn't," she said. One bright spot in the district's problems with rising costs, however, is that Toms River High School East was was de- Asbory Park Press National Park.

qualified scientists and guest speakers on subjects relating to better water quality, fishery resources and beach erosion. Based on his personal reflection of more than 15 years of viewing the Monmouth County shoreline, Cole said, "Changes have always taken place. Time was when nature had freedom; the shore area was a summer place which people used, then left. More recently, nature's freedom has been curtailed to accommodate an influx of year-round residents. Nature has been told where permanent roads must be, where utility poles will stand, and even where beach buildings will be placed.

Man also removes unwanted sand from harbors (or docking boats. "Man likes a rigid non-changing environ- ment, which is contrary to nature," he continued. "We've said to nature, 'You cannot and nature isn't that way, so we have continuous maintenance problems." THE PROBLEMS he refers to are those which counter natural occurrences such as erosion, sand dunes, and salt marshes any and all of man's attempts to alter or adjust the natural. A continuing conflict exists (or Cole, because be undertands and respects nature's unpredictable ways, while he, too, is part of today's modern, complex, industrial heavily-populated society. "We can live much better with nature," Cole said, "but it's hard to back-track." He reminds how the Indians "lived with rather than tried to dictate to nature." Cole (eels "people are better informed environmentally than they used to be," noting that large numbers of participants attend environmentally-oriented lectures and programs in Monmouth County.

"I've become more conservation orient ed. I don't think it's unique with me, as I think everyone is getting that way," Cole said. "I've gone to a smaller car, and I've mentally designed my next house, an underground home, which requires minimal heating and cooling." USING THE CONCEPTS he plans in his future home, Cole has submitted a master plan (or the Gateway National Recreation Area Development. His proposal would convert the abandoned underground military (a-cilities to become a visitor center, military museum, and environmental center open to the public. It would also include demonstrations o( the use ot wind and solar energy.

He collects tropical and local shells, and maintains a sand library which houses more than 100 jars of sand samples from beaches around the world. BY DR. MAX RAFFERTY THE WAY things are, I think it's time for a prayer. Here's one by the Rev. Tony Ahl-strom: "Oh God, bless America if You can.

"Never before have so many had so much worth so little. "Never before have so many young peo ple been willing to sacrifice so much to own their homes and so little to save their marriages. "Never before Opinion has a nation moved from city rows to sprawling landscaped subdivisions only to build houses equipped with fences instead of porches. Now we have neighborhoods without neighbors. "Never before has a nation achieved such a low infant mortality rate only to legalize abortion.

"Never before has a nation produced a generation that is both more educated and less literate than its parents. "WHILE OUR leisure time has steadily increased, so too has our crime rate, our divorce rate and our suicide rate. "Today we have two cars for every garage but we can't afford the gas to use them. We have a TV set (or every room but there's nothing worth watching. Life expectancy is up but expectation is down.

"Here at home, more and more buys less and less, while in the world we have an ever larger circle of allies and an ever smaller circle of friends. We have more and more power but less and less influence. Never before has our arsenal been so strong and our will so weak. "By making technology our theology, we have managed to raise our standard of living while lowering our standard (or living. "Oh God, bless America if You can.

If You can't we'll understand. Amen." QUITE A PRAYER, isn't it? I don't often pray via this column, but in this case I'm happy to make an exception. I especially like the part about "a generation Brookdale Professor Uses Beach As Ail-Year Research Laboratory adapted for solar panels, she added. Toms River High School East is the exception rather than the norm. School officials say the worst of the fuel problem is yet to come.

"The real crunch will come In February," predicted DeBellis of Point Pleas-' ant. that is both more educated and less literate than its parents." It's true, you know. During the a larger percentage o( our young people wet to college than ever before, but almost half of them would have been considered (unctional illiterates by the standards of any previous generation of Americans. Ahlstrom seems to finger a national failure of will as the underlying cause of our current decline and fall. Maybe.

But I think it's a failure of leadership. Washington led us to Lincoln led us to reunion. Roosevelt him or not -r led us through the Great Depression. But what in blazes do we have today that even half resembles leadership? CONGRESS and the President don't lead; they follow the public opinion polls. The greatest, most heroic figure in America today is not American at all; it's a Russian Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

In my own profession education the leadership drought is most pronounced. Quickly now, name three great living American educators. Two. One. See what I mean? Why no leadership? For one reason, because (or the past 40 years the public schools have stressed blandness and "life adjustment," and need for acceptance by the "peer group" at the expense ot strength and daring of individualism.

The result: a generation grown to adulthood which was conditioned carefully (or 12 long years away from the very qualities which combine to make great leaders. We have pruned out the giants and cultivated the dwarfs. THE TRAGEDY is that what took a generation to produce will take another generation to replace. And the almost visible acceleration of the worldwide time machine is not likely to permit so leisurely a luxury. Ahlstrom probably would say that a nation usually gets the leadership it deserves.

I hope this isn't true. I'd hate to think we are rotten. Dr. Rafferty is dean of the school of education at Tray State University in Alabama. Faceted quirements.

But some practitioners, fearing tnarufutnism, are caning ror professional standards and academic requirements. i Dr. John Neulinger, psychology professor at the City University of New York and HtrtfWnr nf tha alonM .1 jtiouic uisuiuie, minK practitioners who deal with the general pop lauuu biiuuiu ik caiiea leisure-resm consultants," reservine the titio counselor" for those with the education an exnerience to ripal urith Uiwiai piuuienuj, XXlinh 1 fl timuuvciny exists aOOUt WiUCht, discipline has dibs on the occupation- and how best to prepare (or it. Some authorities advocate a graduate degree in counseling or psychology as the base with courses In leisure studies. Others recommend a major In recreation, physical education or therapeutic recreation.

In addition to counseling, leisure specialists teach, write and lecture. 1 Neulinger thinks the future institutional Job market could include hospitals, nursing and old-age homes, schools, recreation facilities, municipal agencies, hotel and tourism enterprises and the armed forces. While some observers anticipate an explosive mart ket (or skilled leisure conselors in the years to come, others call such optimism wishful thinking. But as Neulinger spools: "The true leisure counselor would abhor the notion of a permanent job, seeking instead a permanent Income with optimal potential (or maximum leisure." MTDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP The lazy summer days have ebbed away, and local beach populations have declined sharply as sun worshippers resume other seasonal interests. Still to be found on the beach, however, is Richard C.

Cole, Brookdale Community College professor of natural sciences, (or his interest in the beach favors no season; his interest in the beach is professional. To Cole "the beach season never ends." Cole, a marine and environmental specialist, often observes and records data on beach erosion. Following a storm, he may drive down to the beach to view the effects. Or, he may collect specimens for laboratory observation. Close to the beach at Sandy Hook is the "beach house" where Cole spends much of his time.

This well-equipped marine science laboratory known to Brookdale faculty and students as "Building 53" (a former Fort Hancock building) plays an integral part in Brookdale's environmental and marine science program. BEFORE JOINING the Brookdale staff, Cole served as chief naturalist at Sandy Hook State Park now Gateway National Park where he developed the existing nature trails, wildlife areas and educational programs. In 1969, he was invited "to bring Sandy Hook to Brookdale." Not only has Sandy Hook come to Brook MARIE-ELLEN TIGHE of Point Pleasant Beach, a freshman at Georgian Court College, and MICHAEL A. PIZZI of Toms River, a senior at Eliza be thtown College, were elected to "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges." SHARON BEARDSLEY of Ocean Township, a business administration major at Georgian Court College, Lakewood, received convocation honors as a dean's scholar for attaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average during her junior year. BARBARA MELINA, Middletown Township, ELIZABETH A.

MOSS, Rumson, and MARGARET HEERY, were among the Trinity College students who were hosts to Pope John Paul when he visited the women's college. CHARLES M. KIENZLE, Middletown Township, was named a Babcock Scholar by the Babcock Graduate School of Management o( Wake Forest University. CAROLE D. HAUCK o( Manasquan, a student at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) State College, began a semester ot student teaching at Kittatiny High School and Pen Argyl Elementary School, Pen Argyl, Pa.

CARLA MAJOR of Keyport, a music major at Georgian Court College, gave a recital (or the Friends o( the M. Elizabeth Chitty Library o( Plainfield High School. PATRICIA M. LUCASIEWICZ, Hazlet Township, is studying at the University of Madrid, Spain, as part o( Rider College's Junior Year Abroad program. CELIA GOLDWAG o( New York City and (ormerly o( Fair Haven, a law clerk (or Judge Eugene H.

Nickerson, won the $500 (irst prize in the Nathan Burkan memorial competition at the Columbia University School of Law. JUNE CAMPBELL. Sea Girt, and LYDIA UNDERWOOD, Allentown, are members of the Drew University production of Wendy Wasserstein's "Uncommon Women and Others." KERWIN C. FOSTER o( Tinton Falls, a freshman at Cornell University, received the James J. Kerrigan memorial scholarship (or the 1979-1980 school year from Merck Co.

Rahway. JACQUELINE S. KRULL, Freehold, and TODD G. BUCHHOLZ. Toms River, are members of the Bucknell University production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Physics Society At Monmouth Commended WEST LONG BRANCH Sigml Pi Sigma, national physics honor society, has commended the Monmouth College chapter of the organization for the strong program it has maintained since Its installation in January 1967.

The campus society has been designated as a 100-member chapter of the national. It is one of 65 chapters throughout the United States to receive the commendation. Sigma Pi Sigma, which is part o( the Society o( Physics Students of the American Institute of Physics, recognizes outstanding scholastic achievement by students in physics. It has more than 43,000 members, including alumni. The Monmouth College chapter has 153 members.

Dale Snick has been adviser of the organzition since its inception. Leisure Counseling: State PTA Convention Scheduled Nov. 14-16 New, Many By JOYCE LAIN KENNEDY Dear Joyce: Could yon look into an exciting new profession called leisure counseling? V.E.P., San Francisco. Leisure counseling streaks across many pro(essions and often is marbled into other kinds o( helping programs. Few people earn livings solely as leisure counselors.

For most clients, the chiet considerations of leisure time are how to (ind more Careers of it, how to use it better and how to combine it with work (or a good life. For troubled clients, leisure difficulties often are only symptoms of deeper problems. Because of this diversity of clients, varying levels of counseling skills are required. Patsy B. Edwards, president of Constructive Leisure in Los Angeles, notes that the skills needed to practice discretionary-hours guidance (or the average person are virtually identical to those used in career counseling: helping the client clarify self-knowledge such as interests, abilities, values, goals and suggesting ways to match the client's characteristics to activities.

Ms. Edwards refers troubled clients to licensed therapists. In most states, anyone can hang out a shingle as a leisure counselor (or the general population since there are no licensing re VERNON TOWNSHIP The 79th annual convention of the New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers will be held at the Playboy Resort Country Club at Great Gorge Nov. 14-16. Mrs.

Manya Ungar, legislative activity chairman, will conduct a "legislative update" at 2 p.m. Nov. 14. Dr. Vivian-Sue Penn will tape delegates for the radio program "Speaking of Schools." The life membership dinner will be held at 6 p.m.

Nov. 14. The first general meeting is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Nov. 14.

Mrs. Eunice Ensign, state PTA president, and Mrs. Virginia Sparling, national PTA president, will speak. Delegates will elect a president, corresponding secretary and four vice presidents..