Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 21

Asbury Park Evening Pres, Classified Ocean County News 29 30 Comics ASBURY PARK, N.J., TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1972 21 SECTION THREE 23-28Today In History 29 Trouble Shooter Modification of Wetland Rules Pledged After 6-Hour Hearing I ft I f0 It I 11 par imjMim mH fkni Hi i ill I mummimmmmikmM TOMS RIVER The Department of Evironmental Protection will try to please both supporters and objectors in tlie final draft of the state wetlands order. Richard Goodcnough, director of the Division of Marine Services, said after six hours of public hearings yesterday that there would be changes in the presently proposed order before it is implemented. He said the department would try to balance the needs of the public against the rights of the private land owner. More than 40 persons spoke at the hearings at Ocean County College, the second of two parts. The first part was held in Salem County last week.

Supporters of the order outnumbered objectors among the speakers but the few speaking in opposition received the most enthusiastic applause from the over-capacity audience in the lexture hall. However, even those supporting the order had changes to recommend in several areas. Richard J. Sullivan, commissioner of environmental protection, anticipated one of the major complaints before he opened the hearing. He said that if the order appeared to require that buck blinds be built on pilings 10 feet above the marsh it would be changed.

The Wetlands Act prohibits any of several "regulated activities" including any type of construction without a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection. Two types of activities are mentioned. The first includes small projects costing less than $5,000 for which an abreviated review procedure is set up for the application. The second type which includes building a house, requires a more intensive review, an environmental impact statement, and a public hearing before a decision is Two areas have been proposed for initial mapping and implementation. The first is in the Mannington Meadows along the Delaware River in Salem County and the second is in Little Egg Harbor Town- Parker, R-Burlington, the chief sponsor of the bill; Assemblyman Walter E.

Foran, R-Hunterdon, and Assemblyman Robert E. Littell, R-Sussex. (Press Photo) Gov. William T. Cahill signs into law a bill creating a new state council to oversee the development of the ipinelands in Burlington and Ocean counties.

With him at the public signing are (left to right) Sen: Barry T. who owns some wetlands acreage, also attacked the law, but took a different tack. Mr. La Drew complained that wetlands owners-have been subsidizing tiif recrea- tion of all the other citizens but now they can't do what they want with their property. He said he had bought his property 25 years ago with plans to develop it and had built his own dredge.

Now, he said, he can't sell cither. "If you birdwatchers will put up some money I'll sell you my land and my dredge," he said, taking a dig at the environmentalists. Mr. La Drew also complained that while some persons had called for reviews of wetlands project applications by local environmental com- missioners, the group in his locality was not qualified to judge them. "The chairman- of the commission has a house with redwood siding," he said.

"He caused a sequoia tree to be cut down in California that was probably a seedling before the birth of Christ. And he says he's interested in the environment!" Mr. La Drew also said it was unusual that in filing an application for a wetlands project, the burden rests on the applicant to prove himself not guilty of some possible wrongdoing. "And besides, how can the state justify the destruction of 1,900 acres of the Hackensack meadows for a sports stadi-. urn?" he asked.

Mrs. Lydia Arden, a biologist, criticized the destruction of marshlands which she described as once having been a beautiful place. "And the people stand by with the gumption of jellyfish and let their assets slip away," she said. Stanley Cottrell, Ocean Township, Ocean County, a commercial clammer, blamed the destruction of wetlands for the severely declining har- vests of clams and scallops in Barnegat Bay over the last few years. A statement from theMid-dletown Township Conservation Commission urged "penalties heavy enough to deter the most affluent destroyer of the environment" as well as mandatory jail sentences.

Frederick Lesser, director of the Ocean County Mosquito Extermination Commission, proposed exemption of such agencies from provisions of the act in the conduct of their marsh management programs to combat mosquitoes. Other proposed changes in Cahill Signs Pinelands Council Bill Commissioner Richard J. Sullivan of the state Department of Environmental Protection addresses crowd during wetlands regulations hearings. signed into law by Gov. Wil-Ihm T.

Cahill yesterday. The measure, which the governor previously had conditionally vetoed, becomes effective in 90 days. He signed the bill at a public ceremony at which he described the pinelands as one of the state's "most vital assets." He also signed bills which: Appropriate the first $20 million from the Green Acres bond issue approved by the voters last November. Of the initial allocation, $10 million will be used by the state to acquire lands directly and $10 million will enable the state to provide matching grants to aid local governments in purchasing property. Give the state Department of Environmental Protection the power to regulate excessive noises.

The action reportedly marked the first time that any state has attempted to legislate noise controls. The pinelands bill calls for the development of a master plan for the affected area along scenic, recreational, environmental and scientific lines. The master plan would provide the basis for the new council to "encourage" and "recommend" compliance with it to developers and local approving agencies. College Moves Budget DOVER TOWNSHIP Ocean County College's budget, up $531,095, is scheduled to go before the county Board of School Estimate tomorrow. The budget, introduced last night by the college's board of trustees, is based on an enrollment increase of 300 and provides funds to open the fine arts building.

It calls for a county appropriation of $995,925 for current expenses, an increase of $183,125. The trustees anticipate getting $1,375,800 in state aid, up $105,600, and $874,125 in tuition, an increase of $66,325. Other income anticipated includes $121,800 from student fees, up $50,030, and $17,500 in miscellaneous revenue, a new budget account. The budget also anticipates receipt of $251,375 from auxiliary enterprises, $65,000 from the college foundation, for federal- and state-sponsored programs, and $140,000 from the county computer operation. All are offset by equal appropriations for these programs.

The largest budget account, instructional costs, has increased $194,367 to $1,796,546. This provides money for six new teachers, a part-time teacher who also will serve as a counselor, and pay hikes for faculty members. Operational costs are up $39,317 to $375,732. The increase will finance additional staff members for the fine arts building. General expenses are up $154,829 to $830,569, with much of this increase also due to costs of operating the new building.

The board's capital budget, also introduced last night, totals $355,980. This includes $202,990 in state funds and $152,990 in county money. In other action, a transitional training program for soldiers at Ft. Dix was expanded to add 51 students to the present class of 75. The federal government is subsidizing the program, designed to teach discharged soldiers the basics of police work.

The board awarded a $4,048 contract for a sound system for the auditorium in the fine arts building to Audio and Electronic Consulting Services, Butler. Five new courses were added to the curriculum. They are developmental reading, teaching reading, children's literature, introduction to library services, and teacher's aide. Hearing Set On Weapon, Drug Counts TOMS RIVER Robert Testa, Secaucus, faces a Municipal Court hearing Feb. 17 on charges of possessing a dangerous weapon, driving while under the influence of drugs, and being under the influence of drugs.

Police said they found a nine-inch knife in Mr. Testa's car when he was stopped on Route 9 Sunday. Patricia Yuengling, Wee-hawkin, is awaiting a hearing Feb. 16 on charges of possessing marijuana and being under the influence of drugs Sunday. A hearing is scheduled for Feb.

15 for Greneth Bartholomew, E. Washington on a larceny charge. She has been accused by Frances Radow of stealing furniture valued at $1,425 from Mrs. Radow's house at 32 Sutton PI. on Dec.

2. Dover Township Municipal Judge Herbert R. Angen yesterday fined Edward G. Guas-chino Old $200 and suspended his license for two years for drunken driving. Hopeful Cites Prior Service SEASIDE PARK Board of Education candidate John Rice is asking for voter support on a platform of economy, a record of prior service to the community and availability.

Mr. Rice is a teacher In the Toms Itivcr school system end has served with the Trl-Boro First Aid Squad. Mr. Rice and Robert Mar-ko, 00 are seeking the scat of James Sprague, who didn't filo for re-election. Police Seeking Renter Of Barns Full of Loot A provision for state review of the council's fiscal affairs.

Eliminating state parks and forests from the council's jurisdiction. Changing the effective date from immediately to 90 days after enactment. New Span Won't Open On Time POINT PLEASANT It will be springtime before the new Lovelandtown Bridge across the Point Pleasant Canal is open to traffic. A state Transportation Department spokesman. Lawrence McLaughlin, said yesterday a delay in delivering an electric control console for the four-lane span is delaying its completion.

He said another spokesman was in error last week when he predicted the project would be completed on schedule by early next month. "After the electric console is delivered to the bridge construction site, several weeks will be needed to install it, complete the wiring, and test the assembly," Mr. McLaughlin said. "The department expects the entire project to be complete and the bridge opened to traffic this spring." When the new span is in use, workmen will begin dismantling the old twoJane span. That bridge was' built by the county in 1927, and later turned over to the state for maintenance.

The state rebuilt the western part of the bridge after it collapsed into the canal during a March 1962 storm. Since then school buses have been banned from the repaired bridge. The bridge and its approaches, numbered as Route 13 by the state, extends from Patterson road, here, east to Bay avenue on the Point Pleasant-Bay Head line. The new bridge, which cost $3.3 million, will have a vertical clearance of 35 feet when the lift span is closed, and 60 feet when it is raised. It is the only lift type span in Ocean or Monmouth counties.

The council would have the power to review all proposed development projects in the pinelands, but would not have the authority to reject them. But it could impose a 90-day delay if it finds a project would "destroy or substantially significant historic or recreational resources or bring about a major change in the appearance or use of any area of the pinelands region The council also could go to court to seek to enforce its recommendations. The new law involves the more than 300,000 acres of pinelands in Burlington and Ocean counties. In Ocean, the affected area would include all orparts of Little Egg Harbor Township, Eagleswood Township, Stafford Township, Manchester Township and Berkeley Township. In his conditional veto, Gov.

Cahill sent the measure back to the Legislature in November with a series of recommended changes. The Legislature concurred with the proposed revisions earlier this month at the closing session of the outgoing body. Perhaps the major change suggested by the governor is a requirement that the affected municipalities pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the piinelands council. Other revisions included: of the charges, he would be permitted to continue on the project and the funds would not be jeopardized. "Based on all available information to date, no immediate action on the Board's part is necessary," said Mr.

Monnesson, "This will in no way delay the planning and construction of the new school." Mr. Hyres and the others were indicted by a special Ocean County Grand Jury which last year probed organized crime and municipal corruption in the county. He was indicted in connection with an alleged $35,000 bribe in 1969 to assure approval of a trailer park in the Cassville section of the township. pie are sometimes paramount to those of wildlife and mead-owlands," he said. D.

W. Bennett, conservation director for the American Littoral Society, Sandy Hook, said the concensus of his organization was support for the measure although some members thought it was not sufficiently restrictive. Mr. Bennett also urged a provision for inspection of completed work by the department to insure that the project was carried out properly. He cited the hazards of building on a floodplain area such as the rest section in Mystic Islands, Little Egg Harbor Township, which has been flooded to levels about five feet above the level of the present roads eight times in the past 30 years.

The most critical of the speakers was Richard Kor-man, of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, which represents about 75 marinas in Monmouth and Ocean counties. He criticized the restrictions imposed on marinas and went on to urge either repeal or amendment of the Westlands Act. "This hearing is not to correct errors in the act but to toss a bone to the taxpayers whose land is about to be confiscated by the state," he said. He said the act was "born in the wild hysteria of the ecological craze" and that the wetlands should be last in the order of environmental problem priorities. He called the wetlands, "quagmires that breed vast quantities of mosquitoes and nothing else," and said he has seen no scientific evidence that the wetlands are vital to the ecological chain of life.

Arthur La Drew, Linwood, J. 3 -v. -v. Hyres Retained; Trial Is Feb. 14 Press State House Bureau TRENTON A bill creating a 15-member council to oversee the development of the pinelands in Ocean and Burlington counties was Bill Offered To Protect Island Park Press State House Bureau TRENTON State Sen.

John F. Brown, R-Ocean, in-- troduced a bill yesterday that would prevent any future development of Island Beach State Park. The measure would assure that the park would remain forever in its present condition. "Island Beach State Park shall from this day forward be preserved for posterity in its present state," the bill says. The measure refers to the park as a "unique recreational and educational resource," and says it is highly valued for its "topography, flora and fauna." "The Legislature hereby declares that Island Beach State Park is one of the few natural expanses of barrier beach remaining along the eastern edge of North America," the measure reads.

The bill apparently is an outgrowth of the controversy that developed last year over the state's plans to expand the facilities at the park. After a public furor erupted over the planned expansion, the administration of Gov. William T. Cahill scrapped the proposal and said the state would not proceed with any further development of the park at the time. Mr.

Brown said he introduced the bill at the specific request of three Ocean County mayors Patrick Tunneyof Seaside Heights, Alan L. Conner of Lavallette and James J. Delaney of Seaside Park. Sen. Barry T.

Parker, whose district consists of parts of Burlington and Ocean counties, endorsed the bill as a cosponsor. JURY WILL GET MURDER COUNT TOMS RIVER A murder charge against JohnC. Lynch, a former Dover Township diner operator, will be presented directly to an Ocean County Grand Jury. But investigators continued yesterday to refuse to reveal details of the crime. Assistant Prosecutor Thomas F.

Kclahcr again had no comment when asked if police have recovered the body of Jon S. Bell, 36, of Little Falls, who owned the diner Lynch operated last summer. Lynch was arrested late Friday nt the homo of his sister and brother-in-law in Seaside Park, and accused of "striking andor shooting" Mr. Bell In or near Driftwood Diner, Rte. 35 N.

He was ordered held without ball bv County Judge William II. Hubcr. ship at the southern end of Ocean County. Alex Feinberg, Cherry Hill Township, a lawyer for developers in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties, said some practical use could be made of the wetlands without detraction. The restrictions imposed by the order are too stringent and such deprivation of use amounts to taking 'the land without just compensation, he iThe uses are not economically beneficial to present land owners and the state should be compelled to compensate the owners for their loss, he added.

"The requirements of peo- Detective Capt. Stephen Be-litrand would not identify the individual and said police already talked with Anthony Esposito, the owner of the farm. He's not a suspect. Capt. Belitrand said Mr.

Esposito came to headquarters Saturday morning after finding search warrants at the farm house. He's a weekend resident and rented spare barns. Meanwhile, J. C. Penney Co.

representatives and insurance officials are scheduled to take an inventory today of the shipment of glassware, clothing, bedspreads and sundries found in the barns. FBI agents and local police identified the items as part of a shipment to J. C. Penney stores hijacked in Hoboken last Wednesday. Capt.

Belitrand said the goods will be prepared for shipment after the inventory. only daring a public hearing sr i iim -iWJ! LAKEWOOD Police are looking for "an individual" who rented barns at the rear of a Massachusetts avenue farm where an. estimated $100,000 in hijacked goods turned up Saturday morning. Dollars for Scholars Fund Gets $157,908 DOVER TOWNSHIP A two-month campaign by 100 Ocean County residents has ended with contributions to the Ocean County College Foundation's Dollars for Scholars endowment fund totaling $157,908. Profits from the fund will be used annually to aid students in deferring the cost of education.

The drive was the foundation's first concentrated effort to raise funds, which heretofore had been received as unsolicited gifts. There was standing room i MMiumKim its'' cluded: setting a time limit in which the commissioner must act on an application; providing guidelines for application of criteria for determining the value of a project; having copies of applications filed with municipal as well as county clerks, and exempting approved subdivisions on waterfront property from the act for the purposes of building houses. Additional hearings are scheduled at the college starting at 9 a.m. today. Mr.

Sullivan said the record will remain open until Feb. 27 for those who would like to submit written statements. Among those who indicated they would do so was Richard J. Shacklcton, Ship Bottom, president of the N.J. Water-fowlers Association.

Mr. Sullivan said the regulations would be promulgated within 60 to 90 days after consideration of the testimony. ww 1 (Press Photos) Police Probe Origin JACKSON TOWNSHIP -The Board of Education has no immediate plans to suspend or fire architect James W. Hyres, who is one of five former or present municipal officials facing bribery charges. Clyde Lieb, special assistant to Dr.

Carl Marburger, state education commissioner, said earlier this month that the Board of Education would get bo state funds for construction of schools on which Mr. Hyres was the architect of record. The Board is seeking $1.1 in state funds to build in its entirety the upper elementary school, Patterson Rd. Mr. Lieb said state agencies would not grant funds for projects in which a bidder or professional involved in construction or design had been convicted of a crime or was under indictment.

Board President Morris Monnesson said yesterday the Board would take no immediate action because it would not lose funds for the school. He said a state grant would be made only after the Board awarded bids. Ho estimated bids will bo taken about May 1. Mr. Hyres, a former township committeeman, is scheduled to go on trial Feb.

14 along with Committeeman Herbert Dolnn, former Committeemen Michael Rytelcwskl and Joseph Smith, and former Municipal Attorney James J. Callahan. Should Mr. Hyres be convicted, the Board would have to remove him as Its architect for the new school, or lose state funds. If ho is acquitted Weapon the boy's former classmates to services at Van Hise and Callagnn Funeral Home, Point Pleasant Beach.

Dr. S. J. Angelo, deputy Ocean County medical examiner, yesterday attributed the boy's death to a laceration of the liver caused when the boy shot himself In the stomach. Chief Bcecroft said the boy left a nolo at the home of Edward Knapp, also of Boat Point Drive, when he took the gun.

He said police are questioning a man who sold Mr. Knapp the weapon in 1967, but refused to Identify him. That was the year Maine polico said tho gun was stolen from their headquarters. Of Suicide POINT PLEASANT Police are continuing their investigation into how a local man had a pistol which had been stolen from police in Old Town, Maine. The weapon was used Friday by Charles McCarthy, 14, of 1813 Boat Point Drive, who committed suicide In a storage room at Point Pleasant Boro High School.

Police Chief William If. Boecroft, who called the high school freshman's death a suicide, said the boy left a note absolving the owner of the gun of any blame for his death. Meanwhile, six school buses were used yesterday to take on wetlands regulations at Ocean County College lal night..