Wills and Will to View Future of City Discussed at Chamber Lunch Meeting

CAPE MAY – The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May held a well-attended luncheon in the Ball Room of the Grand Hotel March 8. A large number of city business leaders turned out to network, enjoy food and hear two speakers.
Prior to the meeting’s start, a routine passing of the microphone for member introductions, resulted in a demonstration of support for Cape May’s embattled Police Capt. Robert Sheehan.
After a couple of dozen members had completed self-introductions and passed the mike, it arrived at Sheehan resulting in a large segment of the room breaking into spontaneous applause.
Surrogate Sheppard
Introductions over, the chamber heard from the first speaker, Cape May County Surrogate M. Susan Sheppard, Esquire.
Sheppard’s address was a practical focus on simple but critical aspects of estate practices that everyone should employ. A tableful of brochures and self-help kits supported her comments. Much of the material was taken as people exited the ballroom after lunch.
Sheppard’s focus was on several documents she urged all present to consider using. Most obvious of those was a will, which she explained, under state law must be witnessed by two individuals and notarized.
“I don’t care if it is written on a napkin as long as it has two witnesses and is notarized,” she said. She also gave the obvious but all too often overlooked caution to make sure that individuals let family know where an original copy of the will is located. A copy cannot be probated.
The overriding caution was that one should pick a reliable executor who is trusted and willing to serve.
Sheppard also advised that individuals look into the usefulness of a power of attorney to be invoked in situations where someone is unable to tend to his or her own finances.
A living will was the third document she proffered as potentially valuable to most individuals. It helps one maintain control over decisions desired even when one is unable to convey them later.
Cape May – A view to the future
Curtis Bashaw, co-founder and co-managing partner of Cape Advisors and Cape Resorts, owners of Congress Hall among other resort properties, spoke of the 200th anniversary of Congress Hall. He also spoke of the many difficult decisions he had to make to complete renovations that eventually provided Cape May with one of its iconic structures.
Bashaw described the many difficulties he faced in the huge undertaking noting “It is always easier to do nothing than do something.” His pride in the result was obvious but so was his admonition that the project was, at times, “a hair’s breadth from not happening.”
Bashaw’s purpose in starting with the difficulties encountered in bringing Congress Hall back to life as an embodiment of old Cape May was to use it to segue to his real purpose, a view of what is needed in order to keep Cape May the vibrant community it is and can remain going forward.
He argued for the importance of public spaces as embodiments of a community’s values and stressed the obligation that private individuals have to the quality of public spaces.
He talked of making Cape May a place people can continue to afford to reside and of maintaining the economic viability of the resort’s economy.
When asked about attracting more businesses to Cape May, he cautioned that more restaurants and shops cannot have their maximum impact on the city’s economy without more rooms. “In my opinion, we need more rooms first,” he said.
Lack of an adequate room inventory will always be a constraint on the city’s economic growth, especially when such a high percentage of them are unavailable outside of a relatively short summer season.
Bashaw’s strongest message was on the need for what he termed “brand management.”
Too many well-meaning communication vehicles exist without any overall agreement on the messages the resort wants to get out to the world. He called for some form of roundtable where business owners and city leaders could unify the message.
Demonstrating that he inherited some of his grandfather Rev. Carl McIntire’s ability for a rousing call for action, Bashaw was animated as he urged leaders of the Cape May community to pool their talents and ideas to help define a vision for the city’s future.
It is not just a job for government officials, but rather something for everyone to grasp. He also urged that participation be civil, showing respect for “those with whom we disagree, even ardently.”
The message was one of collaboration and community-wide involvement.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.