Press of Atlantic City from Atlantic City, New Jersey • 14

SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 2002 Staff photo by Scott Stelzer The towns not be more Cape May Police Chief Diane Sorantlno says MHb3hO THE PRESS ATLANTIC CITY HH Esgioii Regional police force a win win win for 3 Capes By RICHARD DEGENER Staff Writer (609) 463 6711 CAPE MAY or years towns have avoided it kind of like one would avoid say a root canal Everybody says consolidating sendees among towns is a good Idea and something that simply has to he done someday Nobody really wants to do it right now Political leaders worry about los ing home rule or local jobs even though the result can be a major savings for taxpayers One year ago the Cape Mays decided to be different Instead of just talking about it as they had for a quarter century Cape May West Cape May and Cane May Point inked the state's first Interlocal agreement to create one police department for three towns A year later all three towns could not be happier "The thought of working with three governing bodies was a bit scary However Cape May Point and West Cape May could not be more cooperative" said Cape May Police Chief Diane Sorantlno who heads the surviving police depart ment Residents in West Cape May and Cape May Point worried that Cape May would take the extra money but not provide the services That happened "There was some concern going in some trepidation on my part I thought we could make it work but it going to be a slam dunk" Cape May Point Commissioner Keith Rice said The as Rice put it was realized Taxes declined with savings tills year of $70000 and services got better The Gape May Police Department offers services that a smaller police department could never afford See Police Page C4 a public good Teacher certification a tough task By DIANE Education Writer (609) 272 7241 It takes almost a year costs $2300 and those who get it receive no financial reward Still each year a small number of New Jersey teachers spend hundreds of hours working to become certified by the National Board for Profes sional Teaching Standards teachers such as David Jackson who came to teaching after 20 years as a musician and wanted to be not just a teacher but a really good teacher a process he has discovered is more difficult than I ever He already had a degree in education but wanted something that would focus on the teach ing process NBPTS did just that "In a nutshell it teaches gmiMW' ffi 1 ibiih li hl iMM iiiillUM lnl rlti ikiHrmtwl lfl 'Ka wIM ria Mari Jfcl (IRQ WaLtr TMnMKmW'1 JBeOM lit trSlHRRB as 'aBga3raMgaKraiB3LMMr Staff photo by Ben ogletto Mainland Regional High School art teacher Deborah Chernoff stands in the library recently surrounded by student art projects Chernoff a teacher for more than 25 years says going through the national certification process 'made me think more about what I am doing and why and how I am meeting the needs of every you to reflect on and question everything you do" said Jackson a teacher at the Upper Township Elementary School process forces you to justify what doing and get rid of anything that Only 48 of New almost 100000 teachers have earned the know better than anyone when just giving them busywork Now certification The state Department of Education and Gov James McGreevey want to encourage more teachers to get it Grants are available to cover half the getting them to be more involved and active in the David Jackson Upper Township teacher cost The certification also has received more attention under the federal No Child Left Behind Act which requires a teacher in every classroom The national certi fication is viewed as one way to achieve quality teaching Those who are certified say the time involved is at least equivalent to a degree Teachers pre pare a series of portfolios on their teaching and also must take a series of tests on the subjects they teach It takes self motivation and dedication worked on it probably two hours a day in the evenings and another eight or nine hours on the weekends" said Donna Kortvelesy a former language arts teacher in Millville who now is sharing her training as a profes sional development specialist for the school district whole family pitched in to help out at Teachers critique their work as a way to critique their own teaching and see how they might improve Kortvelesy said the process is very student centered and also makes students more responsible for their role in learn ing Mainland Regional High School art teacher Deborah Chernoff says the process her She got her degree in art edu cation 20 years ago and was look ing for a new goal been teaching for more than 25 years and always loved she said like to change and experiment in class and this made me think more about what I am doing and why and how I am meeting the needs of every stu dent I think this should be inte grated into teacher education Jackson said the process gave him the confidence to challenge practices that may have been longstanding but not particularly effective or example if students do very well on a worksheet on using capital letters but then for get to use capital letters on an actual writing assignment it sug gests that the worksheet was not a very effective way to teach using capital letters know better than anyone when just giving them he said do it so they can get it over with not to really learn Now getting them to be more involved and active in the lessons If something is not working I have to figure out a bet ter way to Steps are being taken in New Jersey to get more teachers involved Craig Thibaudeau of the NBPTS said they are working to increase awareness of the program in the state and development part nerships with businesses and col leges to help support it The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce sponsored a weekend training seminar for nine certified teachers to become mentors to those in the process have been advocating for this for two or three years" said Dana Egreczky vice president of See Certify Page C7 THE REQUIREMENTS The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process generally lasts one year and takes 200 to 400 hours to complete Teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification must: Complete a series of portfolio entries including examples of stu dent work videotapes of the their teaching and other teaching materi als Take a test that involves answering six 30 minute assessment prompts designed to demonstrate their knowledge of subject matter con tent The five core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are: 1 Teachers are committed to stu dents and their learning 2 Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students 3 Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning 4 Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience 5 Teachers are members of learn ing communities More information is available by calling (800) 22TEACH or online at wwwnbptsorg the season for holiday workers Some sectors have all the holiday employees they need while others have only as many as they can afford in the tighter economy By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer (609) 272 7258 EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Juggling' a stack of DVDs in her hands Circuit City saleswoman Jigisha Patel was waiting on one customer Saturday after noon while two other Christmas shoppers were also asking for her help "Pardon me do you have any of one customer inquired of Patel "I have a question when you have a another shopper said barely waiting her turn With only 10 days left before Christmas the holiday season is building to a frantic climax As hectic as it may be for shoppers probably even worse for the seasonal workers who jump into the fray But Patel said she mind the rush She has been working at the Circuit City store at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township for only a month and hopes to land a full time job eventually enjoy it not said Patel 22 who is also a student at Atlantic Cape Community College With the lackluster economy holding down hiring the holiday job market is weak in some sectors while other employ ers such as the US Postal Service seem to have all the part time workers they want Spokesman Ray Daiutolo Sr said the Postal Service already has filled the 400 temporary positions in southern New Jersey that are needed to help process the extra holiday mail and packages See Workers Page C7 Marine mammal center to get $100000 grant By DAN LEE Staff Writer (609) 272 7209 BRIGANTINE The Marine Mammal Stranding Center here got an early Christmas gift Saturday courtesy of the US government Rep rank LoBiondo 2nd announced in a news release Saturday that the center will receive a $100000 grant for its contin uing work in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea mammals The money a John Prescott See Center Page C4 Paul Learn 84 dies was editor for AC Press degree from the Temple University School of Commerce He served on the editorial staff of the Owl the student humor magazine and was named edi tor in chief of the Temple University News in his junior year in 1939 Learn covered the Atlantic City area as a freelance reporter for the New York Times Newsweek United Press International Reuters and the Religious News Service He was inducted into the Army at ort Dix during World Warll in 1941 Learn was one of only two edi tors of South Jersey Living See Leam Page C7 rom Press staff reports Paul Charles Leam of Mar gate the retired editor of South Jersey Living for 22 years a supplement of the Sunday Press of Atlantic City died riday after a lengthy illness He was 84 was a very imaginative industrious and good humored newsman" Press of Atlantic City Editor Paul Merkoski said Saturday Learn came to the Atlantic City Press in 1935 as a copy boy after graduating from Atlantic City High School At The Press he was a reporter copy editor columnist managing editor Sunday editor and acting editor in chief Leam earned a journalism Cow earns school $6500 in fund raiser By MADELAINE VITALE Staff Writer (609) 272 7218 MANAHAWKIN More than 20 people stood around the Southern Regional High School football field Saturday and waited They waited and they waited for Jazz the 20 something year old cow to poop or drop a cow patty or cow chip whichever you prefer believe sitting here wait ing for a cow to 19 year old Lucinda Manfra said is the first time been back to my school since graduation and I believe I came back for Manfra and the rest of the spectators bought a $10 ticket for a tile of the foot ball field which was broken into 1000 squares in hopes that Jazz would leave her mark on their square If she did the winner would receive 10 percent of the proceeds Cow Patty Bingo began at 11 am and unfortunately for some chilly wet onlookers Jazz decide to do her business until after 1 pm right when she was being escorted from the field Winner John Destafanfi was smart He come out for the event But he got to collect his winnings $658 of the $6580 raised for the Southern Regional High School Class of 2005 Jazz owned by Denise Emley of New Egypt seemed to enjoy the attention When some of the spectators yelled out on Jazz poop she turned to the fans mooed and then appeared to stick out her tongue at them Not to fear Jeff Brown a teacher serv ing as commentator for the event said in a serious tone through a microphone goes in must come See Bingo Page C7 te ft Press photo by Ray Cembor Jazz the cow keeps an eye on the crowd Saturday in Manahawkin DO 13 3.