Gloves are off in rainforest wood fight

It was both disturbing and delightfully encouraging to read of the Memorial Day weekend protest hosted by “Friends of the Rainforest.” In “Group protests rainforest wood on the Boardwalk” in last week’s Gazette, my colleague Columb Higgins detailed a verbal skirmish between the organization’s Georgina Shanely and former mayor, Roy Gillian.
It was quite a contrast. Shanely and her group of eight, which included her better half, Dr. Steve Fenichel, chose a holiday set aside to honor treasured heroes, our veterans lost in battle, to protest both tropical rainforest hardwood and the war in Iraq, while the Gillian family hosted an official military jet flyover and a medley of patriotic songs courtesy the Philadelphia Boys Choir. The red, white and blue extravaganza - enjoyed by hundreds despite the pesky protest – was orchestrated by Gillian’s son, Jim.
On a beautiful sunny Saturday, the ceremony was magnificent, moving and very patriotic. The protestors were anything but, and that’s the disturbing part.
As is often the case, the dissenters provided a serendipitous moment. They so angered our former mayor that he did what any real man does when push comes to shove. Like John Wayne arriving on horseback to stand up for conservative ideals, he didn’t shy away from controversy or worry about politics. He spoke up.
“It was absolutely disgraceful,” Gillian said. “It really bugs me to see them up there like that. It was a neat thing that Jimmy did.”
A longtime advocate for the use of certified tropical hardwood on the Boardwalk and an experienced businessman with nearly 60 years on our famed wooden way, he imparted wisdom garnered over a lifetime.
“It would be neat if the city could float a bond and just re-deck the whole Boardwalk in the certified tropical hardwood,” said Gillian. “The city would save what you pay in interest on the bond by not having to repair and replace that Southern Pine every year.”
Hip, hip hooray for Roy Gillian. Go Roy! I couldn’t have said it better myself. How refreshing in this politically correct world to see someone speak the truth.
Who would think that Boardwalk planking could be so controversial? The city plans to use certified Ipe hardwood to replace 720 feet of rotten planking - about a block and a half of the Boardwalk - near Ninth Street, with plans to re-deck a larger portion over the next several years. The city went out to bid on certified hardwood over the winter and city engineer, George Savastano, will discuss his recommendations a June 14 council meeting.
Council voted 6-1 to approve going to bid for certified hardwood and must provide their stamp of approval to Savastano’s recommendation.
“If things go as I anticipate, we will be asking council to award a supply of Ipe from the appropriate bidder,” said Savastano.
Steadfast in his beliefs and supported by documented research and facts, Savastano, another standup guy who doesn’t buckle under pressure, said he does not allow the protestors to bother him.
“To me, it ought not be a concern,” he said. “Everyone has the right to protest. As long as people conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, protesting is not necessarily a bad thing. There are some who would lead you to believe that tropical hardwood is a black mark on the city. It’s a complex situation, with more than one side. There’s a lot of pressure, a mantra to have a workshop to discuss this. We have discussed it. It’s time to move on. It would be irresponsible not to move forward.
“It often requires more courage to dare to do the right thing than to fear to do wrong,” Savastano said, quoting Abraham Lincoln. “It requires conviction and courage to do what you think is right.”
It sure does, how refreshing. A proud public servant who stands up for what he believes in. Savastano has remarkable patience. He has explained at council meetings, in extensive interviews and in public and private forums when people have cornered him that the Ipe wood is the best solution. He’s taken the hits for the rest of us, to provide savings for the taxpayer and a clean, safe Boardwalk for all to enjoy.
Mitigating environmental concerns, Savastano has a host of eco-friendly groups on his side including certification from the Rainforest Stewardship Council. The RSC has the backing of numerous environmental groups. It is the right thing to do.
In the Memorial Day weekend edition of U.S.A. Today, a story highlighting summer vacations, “15 Unforgettable Trips,” included Ocean City. That’s a big honor and great publicity for our town.
The writer of this article married a Jersey girl and was surprised to view New Jersey as anything other than oil refineries and strip malls.
“Home to one of the last great beach Boardwalks in America, it’s a throwback to simpler times – a fun-filled summer escape where attractions don’t’ get much more complicated than a ride on the 140-foot Ferris wheel,” he wrote.
The author, Gene Sloan, highlights Mack and Manco pizza, squawking seagulls, salt air and pristine white sandy beaches.
“Families cruise up and down the Boardwalk, lined with old-fashioned amusement rides, miniature golf courses, waterslides and arcades where you’ll still find a game of Skee-ball for 10 cents,” Sloan writes. “At Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, laughing children reach for the brass ring on a wood-carved Merry-go-round – just as they did a century ago.”
This paragraph jumped out.
“A few years ago, Disney unveiled a faux Boardwalk near Orlando, complete with arcade games and rent-by-the-hour surrey carts. At the time, I quizzed designers about their inspiration. They took a field trip, they told me – to Ocean City,” Sloan wrote.
I found it fascinating that a huge conglomerate like Disney would model its very popular “Boardwalk” on America’s Greatest Family Resort. That’s great. What a jewel we have in our Boardwalk.
Take note however, when they built the wholesome piece of South Jersey Americana, they didn’t nail down deteriorating Southern Pine planks. No sir. Disney, possibly the most environmentally-friendly corporation on the planet nailed down tropical hardwood. After exhaustive research, they took the best of everything that we have to offer and but said “no thanks” to our costly rotting, splintering Southern pine.
Disney explored recycled plastic by the way, and found it was not sturdy enough to use in their theme parks. It would require a complete overhaul of the Boardwalk sub-structure to try it in Ocean City, and Savastano agreed that it would still be questionable whether it could hold heavy equipment, such as a fire truck.
Is it any wonder Disney chose tropical hardwood? The boards are deteriorating as they are nailed in place. The city spends hundreds of man-hours in a senseless attempt to pound in thousands of popping nails, meanwhile our glorious stretches of tropical hardwood – between 20th and 23rd and First and Second streets – have survived nearly two decades, looking good as new.
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen city workers out there with their hammers. I go out of my way to say “thanks, we appreciate your efforts” on behalf of all of us who use the Boardwalk. One friendly young man told me not to worry as he “had my back.” Thank goodness, but he’s one man with a hammer against thousands of popping nails. Another worker said it was a hopeless job as the wood was so dry it was almost spitting the nails out.
The city’s environmental commission is looking at the issue and will weigh in with a recommendation next week. Rainforest advocates claim that logging and deforestation have been “devastating to indigenous cultures, damaged the environment and possibly contributed to global warming.”
Oh, for pity sakes, we’re going full circle. Everything is “eco-friendly” and green, even the city seems to be highlighting “green” initiatives lately. Somehow it all points to global warming.
Let’s take a tour of our deteriorating Boardwalk one day, shall we? It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. It’s a disgrace. Why is it okay to deforest our Southern Pines over and over when we could utilize the aesthetically-pleasing, safe and certified tropical hardwood once and enjoy and reap the benefits for generations?
“If the protestors think for one minute that if Ocean City doesn’t buy that wood that the tropical hardwood industry is going to go out of business, they’re wrong,” said Gillian. “It would save taxpayers a bundle of money over the years, it would be safe, last for decades and you wouldn’t have the guys in the trucks out there every day. Disney and Atlantic City use it. It will be there forever. It just doesn’t make sense not to. The boards are gorgeous, straight as a pin and safe. If we don’t buy this wood, someone will. You just can’t even talk to these people.”
No, you can’t. Shanely does many wonderful things. A big advocate for the disadvantaged, she volunteers in many local organizations. But she and Fenichel are activists, not happy citizens. They rail against everything the rest of us consider mainstream and wholesome, whether it’s the Boardwalk, the school system, the military our valued police force or anything else that speaks of authority.
I wrote a story several years ago highlighting the anti-drug DARE program. So full of hatred, Fenichel railed against me for supporting it.
What is it with people who have to be against everything? What’s happened to our community? There were not people like this when I was growing up. It seems as though the culture of the 1960s dumped a generation of naysayers in our laps. Isn’t there a culture somewhere that would better suit this disgruntled couple and their merry band of protestors?
Thank goodness there are some people who aren’t afraid to stand up to them. Kudos to Roy Gillian and George Savastano. Let’s not let the protestors win this one. Isn’t it time for the rest of us to listen to the wisdom of the ages and stand up before it’s too late?


Ann Richardson can be e-mailed or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250, or visit Speak Out.