Valor isn’t just about bravery, but limitless dedication. That shows at the Fenwick Island Police Department, where Lt. John Devlin went above and beyond to earn the 2016 Joshua M. Freeman Overall Valor Award.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: The recipients of the 2016 Joshua M. Freeman Valor Awards pose together after they were celebrated by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce at Bear Trap Dunes on Friday, Feb. 19. When Devlin learned that his coworker’s baby was to born with a congenital heart defect, he spearheaded a fundraising campaign that has raised $20,000 to help the family with out-of-pocket expenses and long hospital stays. (Now 4 months old, Coleton Lowe is a smiling, happy baby boy who doesn’t look like someone who required surgery within hours of his birth.)

Once the Town of Fenwick Island created a donated leave policy for its employees, Devlin also donated 80 hours of collected sick leave so “this officer could stay with wife and newborn baby when they needed him most,” stated his nomination.

“It’s just the way I am. The chief started the ball rolling. … I kept it going,” Devlin said. “I would hope somebody would do it for me.”

Meanwhile, Devlin cared for his own ailing brother, three hours away.

“John subsequently found out that his older brother was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer,” the nomination from the FIPD continued. Devlin regularly commuted to help care for his brother, drive him to treatment and set him up with long-term care.

“The words ‘dedication, service and duty’ are truly more than just words to Lt. John Devlin,” stated his nomination.

“He’s extremely deserving and never says, ‘No,’” said Police Chief William Boyden.

“This year’s been tough on us. … We’ve been shorthanded,” Boyden continued. “He gave his life [this year].”

Boyden said he wishes he could pay his officers more for their dedication. He also sees the Valor Awards as more of an overall service award for people who go above and beyond.

Devlin has 25-plus years in law enforcement, starting in suburban Philadelphia and continuing with 15 years in Sussex County. His family has four generations in law enforcement.

“We’re lucky in the location we’re at. Most of the community is supportive,” Devlin said. Other parts of the country aren’t so fortunate, he noted, with strained relations between the police and their communities. “We have a lot of trust around here. … It’s all on professionalism.”

Devlin recognized his fellow first-responders: “They go out and make a difference in their community,” and not just for the recognition, he said.

This year, the Valor Awards honored 16 fire, police and medical responders from local departments on Feb. 19 at The Den at Bear Trap Dunes. The annual luncheon lets the community gather to show support and honor first-responders.

“Whether it’s a team collaboration to save a victim’s life, an individual call to action to prevent a crime, or going above and beyond to serve a fellow colleague or community, our servicemen and -women truly display acts of valor year-round, and most commonly go unnoticed,” said Patti Grimes, executive director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. “Thank you all for your dedication to the Quiet Resorts and all you do to make our home a place cherished by so many.”

Police Officers of the Year

• Selbyville Police Department — Detective Laurence Corrigan, school resource officer and major-crimes investigator, for leading 369 investigations that led to 94 criminal arrests in 2015 alone.

• Ocean View Police Department — PFC Nicholas Harrington and PFC Justin Hopkins, for quick response to a shooting and effectiveness in managing emergency resources on-scene, despite the risk associated when the suspect was still at large.

• Bethany Beach Police Department — Patrolman Joshua Fulton, for determination and persistence in investigating a service-firearm theft, following a nearly cold trail from Bethany to solve a string of local thefts.

• South Bethany Police Department — Cpl. Marlon Miller, for remaining professional and putting an unruly subject’s safety before his own, despite facing verbal and serious physical assault.

Firefighters of the Year

• Frankford Volunteer Fire Company — Deputy Chief Tommy Bacon, for longtime dedication, leadership, consistent excellence and for raising future first-responders of his own.

• Selbyville Volunteer Fire Company — 1st Asst. Chief Travis Timmons for quick response and leadership during a historic fire, and for making excellent judgment calls that may have prevented potential injuries.

• Roxana Volunteer Fire Company — Firefighter Wayne Bennett, for continued dedication since 1969, getting as much fire, rescue and EMS training as he could get, and still working everything from drills to chicken dinners.

• Millville Volunteer Fire Company — Firefighter John Stephens, for unparalleled lifetime commitment to Millville, having served in operating and administrative leadership, and still active after 52 years.

• Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company — Firefighter/EMT Bryan Smith and Firefighter/EMT Richie Walls, for lifesaving collaboration that shocked a cardiac arrest victim back to consciousness.

EMTs of the Year

• Selbyville Volunteer Fire Company — Matthew Sliwa, for responding to a call he overheard from his own house and providing life-saving CPR until the official medical unit arrived.

• Roxana Volunteer Fire Company — Rehab Capt. Barbara Walls for leading a model rehab unit that supports first-responders during emergencies, plus years of dedication to the wellbeing of her community and fire company.

• Millville Volunteer Fire Company — Stephen Gilbert and Brian McConlogue, for teamwork in reviving a patient who, complaining of chest pains, suddenly had a seizure and lost consciousness in their care.

Jean Ferrandis will solo with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in Mozart’s “Flute Concerto in G Major” and Fauré’s “Fantasie for Flute” when the MSO performs their annual Spring Concert on Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Mariner’s Bethel Church in Ocean View. A free pre-concert talk presented by Kara Dahl Russell from Delmarva Public Radio will begin at 6:45 p.m.

Ferrandis is an inspirational performer and teacher with superb musicianship, according to the New York Flute Club. He received his Prix from the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon in 1985 and then won the principal flute position in the Orchestre de Prix in Paris.

That year, Leonard Bernstein was invited to teach a master class and Ferrandis was asked to help to train the conductors before the class. Arriving early, Bernstein was so impressed by the beauty of Jean’s playing an adagio by Mozart that he said, “It is Pan himself,” and composed a cadenza for him, becoming his friend and mentor. What followed is an international career as a performer in concertos, chamber music and recitals in major music halls and festivals.

As a conductor, Ferrandis leads the St. Petersburg Camarata in Russia and the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra in Lithuania, with whom he recorded the flute concertos of C.P.E. Bach. He has also recorded CDs of Mozart’s complete concertos for flute, as well as the music of D’Indy, Hindemith and Yuko Uebayashi.

In addition to his performing career, he is on the faculties of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and at California State University—Fullerton, and gives master classes world-wide in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia.

The evening program also includes Poulenc’s “Deux Marches et un Intermède” and the first of Mozart’s last three symphonies, “Symphony No. 39.” Additionally, Lucy McKnight, second-place winner of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra’s annual Concerto Competition, will perform “Meditation from Thais” by Massenet on the bass cello with the MSO.

Tickets are on sale for $38 for adults and can be purchased online at midatlanticsymphony.org, by phone at 1-888-846-8600, or at the door the evening of the concert. The MSO offers complimentary tickets to individuals 18 or younger; however, a phone reservation must be made for those tickets. The concert will also be performed on Thursday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of God in Easton, Md., and on Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m. at the Community Church in Ocean Pines, Md.

Choosing a pet for your child is a difficult job for parents. As many people know, most children will not be responsible enough to fully care for the pet, which means the parents must step in and pick up where the child leaves off. So, as the parent tries to decide on an appropriate pet for the child, they must take this into consideration.

Coastal Point • SubmittedHow much is the parent comfortable and willing to do?

For example, if the mother is going to be the primary “backup” for the child in care and maintenance for the pet, does she have a fear of spiders, snakes, rodents, like mice and rats, etc.? If so, those pets would not be appropriate.

Does the father not like birds? Are there family members with allergies? Do the allergies include things like hay and grasses? Does the family travel a lot? All of these things and more must be considered.

So, what are the most common pets, beside dogs and cats, and what is the general care for these pets?

Guinea pigs are my favorite choice of small, furry pets for children. One of the main reasons I choose guinea pigs are they are less likely to bite, they are rather sturdy, and they can generally be easily tamed and easily re-tamed. What I mean by this is that when children lose their initial interest in the guinea pig; which younger children do; it generally does not take very much work to re-tame the guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are also excellent teaching tools to eat lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit, too. Guinea pigs require lots of fresh, clean water. They should be fed a small amount of pelleted guinea pig food, an endless amount of fresh quality hay and lots of fresh vegetables and small amounts of fresh fruits.

Children can learn about the different vitamins and minerals in fresh vegetables and why both people and guinea pigs need then. Guinea pigs should have a large serving of fresh dark leafy greens at least once per day. In addition to the dark leafy greens, they should have some items such as carrots, squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and more.

There are several excellent websites that you can find about which vegetables and fruits to feed your guinea pig and why. When children see how much the guinea pigs love to eat their vegetables, it sometimes can help to encourage the child to eat theirs, too.

I will often also use my guinea pigs as little composters. I will feed them fresh vegetable peelings from my own vegetables. However, do not give them the peels from waxy store-bought fruits and vegetables. Also, guinea pig waste and the bedding from their cages can be placed in your own compost pile.

Fruit should be served to them in small, treat-like quantities.

Guinea pigs should be handled often. They need toys to play with and on. They need items to chew on.

Depending on the size of their cage, guinea pigs need to have their cages cleaned minimally weekly. Smaller cages, more often. Guinea pigs can be litter-box trained, and then their litter box should be emptied daily and complete cage cleaning at least biweekly.

If you are considering a guinea pig as a pet, search online and check several websites for complete care for them. You can also check library and bookstores for books on them, but if you get a book, check the publication date. Old information on pet care is actually outdated.

The age of the child comes more into play with other small mammals. Mice, hamsters and even gerbils generally are not good pets for younger children. Rats do make nice pets for children. Rabbits are OK pets, but smaller children need closer supervision with them. Chinchillas, ferrets, hedgehogs, flying squirrels and the like are better left for older children and adults.

If you decide to go the bird route, decide if the child is just going to enjoy watching the bird in its cage or if they are going to want to handle the bird. For enjoyment of watching, I recommend finches.

They come in many varieties. They have soft voices. They are very active during the day. They are relatively easy to care for. And if you are interested in allowing them to breed, the breed quite easily and with very little additional care. (Basically, provide a nest.) However, they are generally not a good choice if your child wishes to hold them.

Canaries are another good choice if you want limited interaction. They are pretty to look at, and the males are beautiful singers.

Parakeets, parrotlets and cockatiels are the smallest of birds that are easily tamed to be held. They are relatively easy to care for. They are generally on the less expensive side to purchase. They do not require extremely large cages. They also require fresh foods to eat, along with small amounts of seeds and fruit, so they make excellent teaching tools of what are healthy and nutritious foods and what aren’t.

Their cages should be completely and thoroughly cleaned weekly. They should be fed fresh foods twice daily. They need clean and fresh water daily. They need toys to play with and items to chew on.

Larger birds make great pets, but they require more care and interaction, and should be pets for older children and adults.

Reptiles and such… These are not good pets for younger children. They can carry diseases, and children need to be very careful about proper safe handling procedures, and younger children don’t fully understand and follow through. For older children, they can make excellent pets. However, the initial costs for setting up the habitats and the price of the actual pet can be quite substantial.

If you are going to go the reptile route, one of the best, in my opinion, is a bearded dragon. They are moderately priced and active during the daytime, and they can even learn to recognize their name and their primary caregiver. They are omnivores, eating both meat and plants. As juveniles, they are more meat eaters; however, when grown, they require both.

Like I said, the initial habitat setup is quite pricey; however, once set up, their care cost is moderate. They grow to about 18 inches in length, so they do not require a huge habitat. A 55-gallon fish tank would work rather nicely. They make a very nice pet for older children.

Now, before you make a snap decision, do your research. Go to pet stores and ask questions. Price the items needed to start. Go to the local book store or library and read several books on your pet of choice. Research the pet on the internet. Go to several websites.

Then, after you think you have decided, take a few more days and really think about it. Think about the fact that you will be taking responsibility for a living and breathing animal that will completely depend on you for their life. Are you ready for that? Please, think before you buy.

As someone that has taken many other peoples unwanted pets into my home because someone got bored with it, or decided that it was more work than they thought, or just because they changed their mind; I beg you: Don’t buy it or adopt it if you do not intend to keep it for its lifetime and if you do not plan on providing it with the best care possible.

Cheryl Loveland is a semi-retired dog groomer. Her pet menagerie has shrunk to Bo, her bloodhound; Noel, her bichon frisée and Bootsie, her cat. She currently resides between Keymar, Md., and Millsboro and Selbyville. She is currently not doing rescue work but hopes to resume that when she returns to a more permanent residence. She is a member of Colonial Bloodhound Club and membership chairperson for Misspillion Kennel Club in Milford. She also still helps out at a local boarding kennel in the Bethany Beach area. She has been working with all varieties of pets since she was a child growing up in Montgomery County, Md. She may be reached at countryservice@comcast.net.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: Selbyville Middle School's First Lego League team, the ‘Block Busters,’ shows off their robot, ‘The Terminator.’ Not pictured is James Cook.They might have named their team robot “The Terminator.” They might have a “team snack,” and it might be popcorn. But chances are, you probably aren’t as smart as these fifth graders — at least, not when it comes to Lego engineering.

The “Block Busters,” made up primarily of Selbyville Middle School students, is currently in the midst of their inaugural year as members of the First Lego League (FLL), going up against other schools from across the state in Lego-based robotics competitions.

According to coach Chester Boggs — who’s been involved with FLL for nine years — while his squad might be young, so far this season they haven’t looked much like rookies. In fact, the team nearly tripled their score from the first scrimmage of the season to the second and appears on track to add more points at the FLL Challenge.

“We’ve come a long ways,” said Boggs. “We were looking at 129 points the first scrimmage, and they were over 327 at the tournament. They’re on track to be somewhere in the 450 to 490 range.”

Each year, the FLL teams are assigned theme projects, where they must build, program and then operate robots to perform certain tasks. They’re judged on a variety of factors, spanning from execution to originality — but perhaps more importantly, the missions are typically of some societal significance.

This year, the FLL is working with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, so the team designed and constructed two recycling bins and placed them at the end of the Rads and Rockets hallway at SMS in hopes of encouraging use.

“Their project this year was in regards to sanitation and recycling,” said Boggs. “The district has a recycle program, so the team built recycle bins for the school. [The kids] understand that the competition isn’t everything — the project is just as important.”

The Block Busters may be aspiring engineers, astronauts and physics professors, but their interest in the subject matter hasn’t been the only factor in their success so far. According to them, team chemistry has been every bit as important, if not more so.

“Everybody takes part in this. Everybody has to take part in this,” said eighth-grader Lian Adkins.

“It’s not just one person programming,” added Coleman Woodard, a fourth-grader and the team’s youngest member. “It’s all of us coming together and thinking and doing it.”

From programming the robot, to building the course, to getting the explanation ready for the judges — with autistic seventh-grader James “Mez” Cook boosting the team morale and offering his unique insight into mechanics — everyone has their own task on the team.

Isaac Chandler went on to explain that, whether a task is assigned to him or not, it’s important to learn it anyway.

“Certain people do the programming, but we actually all learn what they’re doing, review what they’re doing, instead of just being mindless. We check on each other and see what everybody’s doing.”

The teamwork aspect is so important in the process that the FLL even dedicates a section of the rubric to judge it.

“[The judges are] looking at how well the team works together,” said Boggs. “They get judged on in the rubric. The kicker is, they only have two and a half minutes to do it. At the state competition, they have two teams playing at the same time — they’ll have it set up, they’ll both go at the same time. Then they have five minutes to explain what they did.”

But even though they’re building robots, and sometimes going through the painstaking efforts of adjusting coordinates by fractions of degrees, time and time again, just to get it exactly right — and, in the case of Adkins, even already taking college courses — at the end of the day, the Block Busters are still kids having a good time.

“For years, I’ve been looking for a place where I could meet other people that enjoy Legos as much as I do and want to do stuff with them that I thought would be amazing,” said Adkins. “I look to this as an opportunity. There’s tons of kids who enjoy Legos. It could help them all the way through college.”

“Kids have minds that work a lot faster because we use our imaginations more,” added Chandler.

The Block Busters will get a chance to show off those imaginations at the FLL Challenge this weekend. But the added competition and bigger venue doesn’t intimidate them much. In fact, they’re ready to unleash “The Terminator.”

“Quote this,” Woodard said when asked if the team would be nervous headed into the FLL Challenge: “Heck naw!”

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert: Tom Reichert was recently appointed deputy attorney-general.Growing up in Ocean View, Tom Reichert knew he wanted to be either an engineer or a lawyer.

“There are lawyers in my family,” explained Reichert. “My dad’s a lawyer; my grandfather was also a lawyer. My grandfather on my dad’s side sort of practiced law but wasn’t actually a lawyer.”

After graduating from Indian River High School in 2006, Reichert matriculated to Virginia Tech, where he studied chemical engineering. He later graduated with a degree in chemistry and psychology.

“I realized I liked the chemistry, but not the engineering classes,” Reichert explained with a laugh. “When I decided to go to law school, I added the psychology major.”

He then went on to the Charlotte School of Law, in Charlotte, N.C. In undergraduate and law school, Reichert had a number of internships, including one with Delaware Legal Aid and the Delaware Department of Justice. In his second year of law school, he was even able to study abroad in Germany.

“We primarily focused on the European systems of copyright, trademark and patent law,” he said.

Reichert graduated from Charlotte Law School in 2014 and passed the North Carolina bar exam prior to deciding to return to his home state to take the bar and practice locally.

“I worked in North Carolina for six to nine months; couldn’t find stable jobs that I was really happy with. Out of law school, I was deciding between Delaware and North Carolina.

“I initially went with North Carolina because I had interned with Edison Nation Medical during my last year of law school. They had implied that they were interested in hiring me full-time, but that ended up falling through,” he explained. “I was left trying to find something else. When nothing really came along, I decided to come back to Delaware.”

Last March, Reichert returned to Delaware and took the three-day bar exam in July. He was sworn in as a Delaware attorney in December at the Delaware Supreme Court in Dover.

“It was interesting. The judge reads off a pledge, which I read off in return, to solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution.”

Reichert said he enjoys the challenge of what each case has to offer.

“I enjoy the research and analysis, if there’s a unique or odd situation, to try and come up with a unique or creative legal answer. It’s like problem-solving — you try to put all the pieces together and solve it.”

On Feb. 15, Reichert began working at the Delaware Department of Justice in Georgetown, as a deputy attorney-general.

“I will be primarily handling DUIs and J.P. Court. I enjoy it. I’m still learning the day-to-day, but I enjoy it a lot,” he said. “At this point, I’m mostly shadowing — following and observing.”

The job is a special one for Reichert, as his father is also an attorney for the Department of Justice and once had an office two doors down.

“It’s a little strange. I can remember coming in when I was in high school and my dad had a picture I drew when I was in kindergarten he had on his wall or door.”

Throughout his journey to become a lawyer, Reichert said, his parents were great supporters.

“They’ve been extremely supportive and helpful all throughout, with whatever I needed. I can’t thank my parents enough.”

Although he’s less than a month into his career at the DOJ, Reichert said he’s excited to see what the job has to offer and is happy to be back home in Delaware.

“For now, my goal is to work, get experience and start my life, and see where it goes from there.”

Clear Space Theatre Company will present Cole Porter’s 1930s musical “Anything Goes” on weekends between March 18 and April 3 in Rehoboth Beach.

Set aboard the ocean liner S.S. American, “Anything Goes” tells the story of Reno Sweeney and her old friend Billy Crocker as they face the shipboard complications of boy-meets-girl, set to such Cole Porter tunes as “Friendship,” “It’s De-Lovely,” “I Get No Kick from Champagne” and the title song, “Anything Goes.”

Sydney Gray stars in the role of Reno Sweeney, an evangelist turned nightclub singer. Since joining the Clear Space organization in 2006, Gray has served in various capacities and productions, including director of “Avenue Q” and “Rent,” and assistant director of “The Odd Couple.”

Gray has also been seen on stage at Clear Space in “Company,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and “Hello, Dolly!” Off stage, Gray has also worked as an instructor with Clear Space’s Broadway Bound program and the Musical Theatre Summer Intensive camps, and co-founded the Summer Acting Intensive.

Clear Space is introducing Joseph Chubb in the role of Billy Crocker, a young Wall Street broker and longtime friend of Reno Sweeney. Chubb is a resident of Hershey, Pa., where he is the assistant artistic director of the Bare Bones Theatre Ensemble. In 2014, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in both early childhood education and special education from Lebanon Valley College.

Chubb has performed in roles including Dr. Franknfurter (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”), William Barfe (“...Spelling Bee”), Hanschen (“Spring Awakening”), Rooster (“Annie”) and Lun Tha (“The King And I”).

“We are delighted to welcome Joseph Chubb to the stage at Clear Space Theatre. He joins Sydney Gray, who is no stranger to the audience and students at Clear Space Theatre,” said Wesley Paulson, executive director. “Sydney brings her enthusiastic acting, singing and tap-dance skills to the role of Reno Sweeney, with two feature numbers, ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow.’

“Anything Goes” opens on Friday, March 18, and runs for three weekends, through Sunday, April 3, with shows on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. A weekday matinee is being offered on Thursday, March 31, at 11 a.m.

Tickets for “Anything Goes” can be purchased online at www.clearspacetheatre.org, by calling (302) 227-2270, or in person at the box office located inside Clear Space Theatre, at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.

It’s time to break out those bingo daubers, at the 8th Annual Bingo Fundraiser, hosted by the Indian River High School Band Boosters.

Players can get the thrill of being in a speedy game of bingo on Friday, March 4, at the Millville Volunteer Fire Company’s fire hall, all while supporting the band. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and games start at 7 p.m.

Guests can get lucky all night with special games, door prizes, raffle items and a 50/50 drawing.

Big prizes start with Longaberger, Vera Bradley and Thirty-One. But cash, gift certificates and other merchandise are up for grabs.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase beforehand, so guests can come hungry.

The event is the IRHS Music Program’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

Led by conductor Nathan Mohler, the band performs free community shows year-round, including at football games, holiday parades and at least three public concerts. Now, the community can chip in show their appreciation by sending the kids to this year’s band trip at Gatlinburg, Tenn., near Knoxville, where students will perform, take part in a workshop and have a fun musical trip.

Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Attendees must be 18 or older to play. More information is available by calling (302) 321-9020 or emailing IRBandBoosters@gmail.com, or online at www.facebook.com/IRBBoosters.

Those who love poker and driving can combine the two at this weekend’s Poker & Fun Car Rallye IV, supporting Justin’s Beach House.

The respite home was built after the creation of the Justin. W. Jennings Foundation, which maintains it, with the mission to “support and maintain a home in the Bethany Beach area where families with cancer can have a place of respite and enjoy some fun family time. It will be a place of joy and peace at the beach.”

Jennings, a Wilmington native whose family vacationed in Bethany Beach, passed away in 2000, at the age of 19, from a malignant brain tumor. In his memory, Justin’s parents, Craig and Mary Ellen Nantis, worked to build a home where families suffering from cancer can enjoy a weeklong stay at the beach. In 2015, the foundation celebrated its fifth year of hosting families.

As a nonprofit, it takes a lot of money and volunteer hours to keep the house up and running for visiting families. One such couple who has donated their time is Bob and Nancy Lueckel, who created a car “rallye” to help financially support Justin’s Beach House.

The Lueckels decided to create the car rallye after Nancy Lueckel had volunteered her time to bake for and greet families staying in Justin’s Beach House.

“This was before we moved down here full-time,” Bob Lueckel explained. “She was really enthusiastic about the charity and was wondering how we could do something more than her just baking and greeting the families when they arrived.”

The Justin’s Beach House Poker & Fun Car Rallye IV will be held Saturday, March 5. Those who wish to participate may register day-of, between 10 and 11 a.m., at Hooked Up Ale House & Raw Bar in the Millville Town Center.

The drivers’ meeting will be held at 11 a.m., with the first car leaving at 11:15 a.m. Each team is to consist of a driver and a navigator. Registration costs $30 per car, and prizes will be awarded for the top cars.

For those who choose to participate, the rallye car must have both a driver and a navigator, and the vehicle must be registered to be street-driven. Any car or truck will do; the driver must have a valid license; a navigator must be used and should be old enough to read directions and the rallye questions and write down answers to the questions.

No more than two adults are allowed in each vehicle in the rallye; seatbelts must be worn at all times; all traffic laws and rules of the road must be followed. Safety and courtesy will be required while making turns and searching for clues.

“Is a combination poker and fun car rallye,” explained Lueckel. “Participants will be given a set of directions and questions. All participants will follow the same route. At the beginning and at checkpoints along the route, they’ll stop and pick cards for a poker hand. That’s how we combine the two. Then, when they return, they’ll make their poker hand.”

The Lueckels had previously been involved in rallyes with their Corvette club while living in Maryland.

“She thought that might be something fun for people to do… and an opportunity to raise some money for Justin’s.”

Lueckel said their largest rallye had 32 participants, and he hopes to continue to have community support and participation during this weekend’s event.

“Although it is a rain-or-shine event, the turnout does vary by the weather and what other events are going on in the area,” he said. “We think we have a good rallye put together. The weather looks like it’ll be sunny and warm. We’re just hoping for a great turnout.”

For more information about the Poker & Fun Car Rallye IV, call Lueckel at (443) 299-9125 or Bob S.
at (845) 656-5438. Hooked Up Ale House & Raw Bar is located at 38069 Town Center Drive in Millville, in the same shopping center as the Super Giant.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: U.S. Sen. Tom Carper invites IRHS students to share their own experiences about the school Wellness Center.Besides the classrooms and gymnasiums, most Delaware high schools have the equivalent of a regular doctor’s office. Wellness centers became widespread in Delaware about 20 years ago, under now-U.S. Sen. Tom Carper’s governorship. So Carper toured Indian River High School’s wellness center and met with health staff from across the state on Feb. 17, during National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month.

Teenagers get help with mental and physical health at school wellness centers, staffed with nurse practitioners from local hospitals.

“We live in a very different age today. … We all have different baggage that we carry,” said IRHS Principal Bennett Murray.

Coming from all socioeconomic backgrounds, kids need the wellness center for many reasons.

Maybe they’re homeless, or they can’t afford healthcare, or they can’t get a ride to the doctor.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” Murray said, voicing a mentality that really fits the purpose of wellness centers. “I don’t know how we would function,” he said, without wellness center staff, who maintain student confidentiality but keep him in the loop with bigger health issues.

“They serve a real need, especially with people who can’t get their kids to the doctor,” Layfield said.

“Coming from the middle school, you just have your nurse, and she does all she can do,” but the wellness center is a huge step up, said student David Clark.

Traditional school nurses are limited in what they do. They can continue treatment that another medical professional has prescribed. They can administer existing prescriptions or dole out mild treatments, such as medicine for a headache.

But they cannot diagnose. That’s where a nurse practitioner adds value.

Nurse practitioners at school wellness centers can diagnose and treat medical issues, besides encouraging healthy diets and lifestyles.

“Most adolescents don’t really have a primary-care doctor,” having outgrown the pediatrician, but not really joined the family doctor yet. “They need that link” to primary care,” said Valerie Woodruff, president of Delaware School-Based Health Alliance, which advocates for school-based healthcare.

Wellness centers were designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and link students and their families to ongoing sources of care in their community.

Plus, kids learn how to access healthcare for themselves.

“It’s really nice to have that easy access” to free physical exams, an annual requirement for athletes, said student George Martin.

Shelbey Cannatelli thanked the staff who talked her through some tough family times.

“Just to be able to have that extra person to talk to” helped put things in perspective, she said. “They have inspired me to do a health-science major at the University of Delaware.”

Mental healthcare is the most commonly sought service. After all, adolescence is tough, and traditional school counselors also have a lot on their plates.

Kids need a healthy start to focus on academics.

“Our students do have a variety of baggage, but the wellness centers have come to the rescue,” said IRSD Superintendent Susan Bunting, who’s seen an increase in diversity, poverty and student needs. But, at school, “our students are well cared for.”

Today in Delaware, only three public high schools lack wellness centers.

Despite the Indian River School District’s longtime participation, it came later in the game. IR High School’s center opened in 1999, according to Adams.

“We were not the first in the state. In fact, I think we might be the last. But I think [school board members] are grateful they made that decision,” Bunting said.

“This district was very conservative, so they wanted to make sure the wellness centers were in the best interest of the students and the parents,” said Cheryl Layfield, an FNP who worked at Selbyville Middle School as nurse and was instrumental starting the wellness centers. “Certainly they’ve done a lot of good things,” she said of the health centers.

Beebe Healthcare services Indian River, Sussex Central and Cape Henlopen high schools. That equals nearly 5,100 visits a year for more than 3,000 students, said Jonathan Cook, vice-president of operations for Beebe Medical Group.

“No child is turned away from our centers,” which is especially important as the U.S. tries to iron out universal healthcare, Cook said.

“I wish we had these wellness centers in our high schools. We don’t,” said Cook, president of Worcester County (Md.) Board of Education.

Schools only have to provide space for wellness centers, not funding. Local hospitals and the Delaware Division of Public Health foot the bulk of the bill.

Services are free to students, although health insurance may be billed for treatment, with parental approval.

Once, people worried that young Delawareans weren’t getting the care they needed. Now, wellness centers are helping an age when young people take responsibility for their own bodies.

Former Gov. Mike Castle got the ball rolling, but then, as governor, Carper ran with it.

Woodruff (former Secretary of Education) still remembers the meeting decades ago when Carper insisted that every high school that wanted one have a wellness center, with collaboration by Department of Education and Department of Health & Social Services.

This year, Carper celebrated the “collaboration, cooperation and communication” that have made wellness centers such an important student-centric program.

The IRHS wellness center is open regularly during the school year, with special hours in summer. Families should contact their local high schools for more information.

The South Bethany Town Council has four seats up for election this spring.

Interested candidates may throw their hat into the ring by filing written notice at Town Hall during regular business hours from March 4 to Wednesday, April 13, at 4:30 p.m. There is no registration fee.

Voters will elect three council members, and the mayoral position separately. This year’s contested seats are currently held by Sue Callaway, George Junkin, Tim Saxton and Mayor Pat Voveris.

Winners of the May 28 election will begin a two-year term in June.

Voters must register at Town Hall to participate in town elections. Voters must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old by election day. They must either be a town resident (physically residing in the town for at least nine of the 12 months preceding election day); a freeholder (property owner or trustee for at least 90 consecutive days before election day); or the spouse of a freeholder (whether or not their name is on the deed).

Eligible candidates must be at least 21 years old and otherwise be qualified voters. No candidate can have been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude.

At least four of the seven members of the Town Council must be residents. The mayor must also be a resident.

More information is available by visiting Town Hall at 402 Evergreen Road or at www.southbethany.org, writing townclerk@southbethany.org or calling (302) 539-3653.

Millville By the Sea is planning to open 103 lots in its next development phase, and the Millville Planning & Zoning Committee met March 1 to review a preliminary site plan submitted by Millville Town Center LLC for MBTS’s next subdivision, formerly known as Topsail Village.

But that name will change because, at the last minute, the developer realized a small development in Bethany Beach has already claimed the name “Topsail Village,” said Chuck Ellison of Miller & Smith.

The Planning & Zoning Committee unanimously agreed to submit the application to the town council for preliminary approval.

The 28.4-acre parcel connects to Lakeside Village in the south, Sand Dollar Village II in the east, lakeside, and Beaver Dam Creek in the west.

The planned roads are winding to “circumvent the tendency of folks to come roaring through the community, because they have to make a number of turns at each way,” Ellison said.

Stormwater management is being finalized, although the neighborhood centers around a central lake and mini bio-retention ponds. Other amenities are being brainstormed, such as a gazebo or picnic tables. The development’s popular walking trail system will nearly double within this neighborhood, Ellison said.

Lot sizes will vary in width, including 60 feet, 70 feet and one other size, each holding single-family homes.

P&Z members didn’t object to a three-phase project, which Ellison requested because the developers have sewer details to iron out with Sussex County. Preliminary approval can be granted all at once, with final approval in phases.

Planning consultant Kyle Gulbronson of AECOM noticed some “crimping” of properties against some tax ditches, but that doesn’t violate Millville Code, as long as the Sussex Conservation District doesn’t mind. His other concerns will be addressed later, during the final planning phase.

If the developer maps out P&Z’s recommended changes in time, the town council could consider the plans at their March 9 meeting.

The Town of Ocean View will hold its annual town council election on Saturday, April 2. They will elect a councilperson from both District 1 and District 2, for three-year terms.

As of March 2, only one candidate, Frank Twardzik, had filed to run in District 2. The seat is currently held by Geoff Christ, who is serving his second term on the council.

Bill Olsen of District 1 will be completing his first term on council in April; however, as of Coastal Point’s March 2 deadline, he had yet to file for reelection.

Those who are interested in serving on the Ocean View Town Council must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen; have been a resident for at least one year immediately preceding the date of election; be a resident of District 1 or 2 at the time of filing and during the full term of office; and be a Town of Ocean View eligible registered voter.

Any District 1 or District 2 resident who wishes to file as candidate must file a “Certification of Intention” and pay a $50 filing fee at the office of the town manager no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9.

Those residents who wish to vote in the annual municipal election must first become a registered voter with the Town. State or county voter registration does not entitle residents to vote in Town of Ocean View elections.

To be a qualified voter in the Town of Ocean View, residents must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and have held Ocean View residency for at least six months immediately preceding the election. The deadline to register to vote in the April election is March 30, at 4 p.m.

Voters may register in person on the second floor of the Wallace A. Melson Municipal Building, located at 201 Central Avenue, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Residents may also download and mail in a voter registration form from the Town’s website, at www.oceanviewde.com/clerk. Identification is required when people register to vote. A Delaware driver’s license is the preferred form of identification.

Town officials recommend contacting the town administration if residents are unsure if they are a registered voter. Any resident who has not voted in the Town of Ocean View’s election for the past two consecutive years in which there was an election must re-register in order to be eligible to vote in the 2016 election.

The annual election of the Town of Ocean View will be held on Saturday, April 9, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., at Town Hall, located at 32 West Avenue. To inquire about voter registration or how to file as a candidate in the upcoming election, call Ocean View’s Town office at (302) 539-9797.

The Ocean View Historical Society has been given the go-ahead by the Ocean View Board of Adjustment for its plans to turn a soon-to-be-donated home into the Coastal Towns Museum.

On Feb. 18, the Ocean View BOA unanimously approved a special-use exception for the residentially-zoned property to be used as a museum.

“We have been very fortunate that the owner of the property has donated her house, barn and property to the historic society, and we are going to, at her wishes, convert that home into another museum,” said Richard Nippes of the Ocean View Historical Society. “We would like to have the zoning changed so that we have the authority to begin creating the Coastal Towns Museum at that location, as soon as we take ownership of that property.”

The home, located across from John West Park, will be known as the Evans-West house, and is to be donated to the society by a local family in March 2017.

“This museum, I think, is going to be a very popular one and bring many, many visitors to Ocean View, because it’s going to be a joint venture between the coastal towns — Ocean View, Fenwick Island, South Bethany, Bethany and Millville. Therefore, it’s going to get a lot of exposure,” said Nippes.

“The building is a perfect venue for the creation of a museum. The home was built in 1901. The barn was built in 1900. We’ve already restored the barn.”

Nippes said the current owner is “absolutely thrilled” the historical society will be saving her home and converting it into a museum.

“This would be the second building which is now in the National Registry of Historic Places,” said Nippes, the first being the Tunnell-West House. “I think it’s a real asset to the town to have two historic buildings preserved and on the National Registry.”

Along with the main Tunnell-West house, the Ocean View Historical Society’s complex boasts an 1800s outhouse; the town’s first post office, built in 1889; and an exact replica of Cecile Steele’s first chicken house. And in addition to the Evans-West House, the OVHS also plans to build a new Hall’s Store, a replica of a country store from the early 19th century, on its historic complex behind the Tunnell-West House. The society is currently working on raising the $250,000 needed to begin construction.

“It was built, we estimate, around 1820, and from that store is where Ocean View began to grow.”

Nippes told the board that the Tunnell-West house is to show visitors what life what like in Ocean View around the 1850s.

“We want to also show people the life in Baltimore Hundred… which was made up of the towns I previously mentioned. So [the Coastal Towns] museum will talk about life in those areas. Life in Bethany, South Bethany and Fenwick Island was totally different than in Ocean View and Millville. Most of those people had to come to Ocean View to get their food.”

Nippes said there has not been a formal written agreement between the other towns to participate in creating the future museum.

“We have been meeting, and we’ve invited them to participate. Most of those — of course, you all are aware of what’s going on in Bethany, that they’ve just been donated the Dinker House — but the others don’t really have a place to display things. We felt this building would give us a great opportunity to talk about Baltimore Hundred.”

Nippes said the Evans-West will not cost a great deal of money to get up and running.

“The one we’re getting is in great shape,” he said. “We’ve already restored the barn… We don’t expect major expenditures to get that house up and running.”

He noted that he believes there will be adequate parking for the facility, and there would not be set hours of operation.

“It would not be open all the time,” said Nippes. “It’ll probably be on special occasions, just like the Tunnell-West house is, because we don’t have the ability to keep it open and operating daily.”

The variance was approved with a vote of 4-0 by the board.

For more information regarding the Ocean View Historical Society, visit www.facebook.com/oceanviewhistoricalsociety. Those interested in donating to the society or becoming a member can visit www.ovhistoricalsociety.org. The Tunnell-West historic complex is located at 39 Central Avenue in Ocean View.

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert: Patrolman AnnMarie Dalton takes a break from her duties to pose next to one of the Ocean View Police Department’s vehicles. She chose Ocean View largely because of their reputation of training their officers well.Those who have been travelling through Ocean View in the last few weeks may have noticed a new officer on patrol.

Patrolman AnnMarie Dalton, who graduated from the Delaware State Police Academy in February, began her field training with the Ocean View Police Department three weeks ago. She was hired by the department in May, prior to going to the academy.

“I looked at local departments, and you hear word-of-mouth what are good departments to go to. I had heard Ocean View was very well-trained. It’s what you need in this job — you need to be well-trained. And Chief [Ken] McLaughlin gives a lot of training opportunities.

“I also heard he was such a wonderful guy and really into community policing, which is something that I strongly believe in. I felt like it was a perfect fit for me.”

Dalton moved to southern Delaware in the spring of 2014, after graduating from Holy Family University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“My roommate my senior year has lived in Sussex County her whole life. After we graduated, she said, ‘You should come live at the beach for the summer,” said Dalton. “I was already in the process with the Delaware State Police, so I came down and lifeguarded for the summer, and loved the area. So I started putting applications in and ended up staying. I liked it too much!”

While she was applying to various law-enforcement agencies, Dalton served as a seasonal officer for the Bethany Beach Police Department last summer and worked as a paraprofessional at Lord Baltimore Elementary School.

Dalton is the first person in her family to work in law enforcement, a profession she’s been interested in since a young age.

“I guess it’s something I’ve always wanted since I was younger. My grandfather and I used to watch ‘America’s Most Wanted.’ I always felt that drive, like, ‘Oh — I want to do that. I want to find those guys or girls,’” she said. “It was one of those things that I felt was a very noble profession. Not that any other profession is not.”

While in college, she interned at the Lower Southampton Police Department in Philadelphia, which solidified her choice for a career in law enforcement.

“I got to do some ride-alongs and see the daily routine of what a cop does every day, and it showed this is definitely what I want to do. I just like the feeling, being in that seat and watching the daily routine. It just felt right. It’s like when you’re looking for a school to go to. You walk on campus and say, ‘This is it.’ That was sort of the same feeling I got.”

This past May, Dalton was hired by the Ocean View Police Department and sent to the State Police Academy for its 22-week live-in intensive training program.

“It was a learning experience. It was very hard to adapt to that kind of life there. I went away to college, but it was like a whole new feeling. You didn’t have a cellphone; you didn’t have any contact with the outside world, except on weekends. So, you had to rely on all the people who were there, which in turn was awesome. I made some amazing, amazing friends,” she recalled.

“The live-in, being away from your friends and family for so long — it was hard to adjust to. But it was also really good. I learned a lot. The training was awesome… the food was terrible. It was definitely an experience.”

Unlike some other states, Dalton said it was great to be able to be hired by a municipal agency and be sent to the State’s training academy.

“I liked that I was training with State Police,” she said. “Delaware has one of the hardest academies in the United States.”

Dalton was one of 13 females in the Academy’s 81st Municipal Recruit Class; however, only eight graduated.

“We started with 13 females. That’s a lot,” she said. “That experience itself opened my eyes a little bit. All we lost were females. Was it harder on us? No. We were, all across the board, treated the same. If a TAC officer was in a guy’s face next to me, we were next, you know? It was no different. I was with eight other girls, so our room was filled.”

As a female in law enforcement — a job known to potentially be physically taxing and dangerous — Dalton said the academy was good about addressing concerns.

“Because females are smaller — command presence, they harped on that. If you have good command presence, you have command of the situation, which I think is the case with anybody. But being a female and being smaller, they’ll size you up,” she said. “Having command presence and looking professional at all times, they said, being a female or a smaller guy, is a good way to show authority and that you’re there to get the job done.”

This May, Dalton will be out in field training and able to patrol Ocean View by herself. She said she’s excited to be working with the OVPD.

“I feel as though I’ve definitely picked the right department. I’ve been constantly supported since the moment I started, which can sometimes be hard to come by. Every week it’s, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ ‘Do you need anything?’ Daily check-ins. So, I definitely feel supported and like I landed at the right place.”

While new to the job, Dalton said that, so far, she’s really enjoying her time in law enforcement and is looking forward to a long career.

“I absolutely love it. I’ve been getting that question a lot, and I keep saying, ‘I love waking up and going to work.’ You never know what’s going to happen. You can make it routine, but every day is different,” she said.

“Right now, my goal would be just to work hard,” she said. “I just want to work hard and do what I have to do. Eventually, I would like to go into some type of little drug unit. That’s something I feel strongly about. But, as of right now — stay focused, do what I have to do, work hard and get the job done.”

Fenwick Island will have no more than three hotels for the time being. The town council voted unanimously (with Councilman Roy Williams absent) on Feb. 26 to place a moratorium on new hotel/motel uses within town limits.

The moratorium states “the Town Council deems it to be in the best interest of the Town to maintain the status quo of existing motel/hotel uses during the Comprehensive Plan update process.”

That means the Town won’t issue any permits, license or other approvals for a new hotel/motel use in the town, until further notice. The language is not designed to apply to the existing hotels, even if they were to be torn down and rebuilt, since their properties already have a hotel/motel “use.”

The ordinance may be extended, changed or revoked at any time, based on a council-majority vote. Otherwise, the moratorium ends automatically in two years.

The moratorium lets the Town pause and decide which direction to take, especially while beginning the 10-year update of Fenwick’s Comprehensive Plan, to be approved in June of 2017.

In December, the majority of the council approved an ordinance specifically designed to allow the Sands Motel to renovate from the ground up and, in doing so, increase its room density to something comparable to that of the other two existing motels in the town. But some residents feared that ordinance could open the door to more accommodations and overcrowding in town.

With their voices heard on the issue last autumn, the public had nothing to add at the Feb. 26 meeting.

Freeboard has returned as an increasingly divisive topic at Fenwick Island Town Council meetings.

On Feb. 26, a number of residents opposed an ordinance that would allow Fenwick houses to surpass the 30-foot building height by 18 to 24 inches, based on adding that much more freeboard to the structure.

The town council still passed the first reading of Town Code Chapter 160-4 and 160-5. Councilman Roy Williams was absent, and Councilwoman Julie Lee was the lone vote of opposition in the 5-1 vote.

Freeboard is not a physical board, but a term describing a how high a house is built above the flood line.

The ordinance is designed to function as a reward to encourage people to build safer homes. Most coastal homes already include some freeboard to meet FEMA floodplain requirements. But houses built with even more freeboard are considered to be safer, and often pay lower flood insurance premiums.

Today, all homes in Fenwick Island must meet a 30-foot height limit. Homeowners who want extra protection must squeeze in any extra freeboard under that height limit, which can mean sacrificing the overall size of the living areas of their house.

With additional freeboard, the additional height is voluntary. People could still build to 30 feet if they choose, or they could go a little higher if they’re building starting from a higher point.

In an open letter to Mayor Gene Langan, published in the Feb. 26 Coastal Point, Lee shared her displeasure at finding the topic on the council’s agenda for Feb. 26, without recent discussion by any of the town committees.

“There has been no discussion of freeboard or the height limit in the Charter & Ordinance Committee since last spring,” she wrote. “Several members of the current C&O Committee knew nothing about the proposed first reading. The Planning Commission has not discussed raising the height as they work on the new Comprehensive Plan.

But the ordinance wasn’t rushed, Councilman Bill Weisling asserted. “It was discussed over the past year. It was discussed through an election cycle. … And my personal feeling is that the majority of the people have spoken.”

The Charter & Ordinance Committee did discuss it during floodplain ordinance changes, due in early 2015. The council was divided initially on whether to make additional freeboard voluntary or mandatory. The issue was tabled in the spring of 2015, to get public opinion. Town council elections touched on the topic in summer, and the town survey on freeboard was planned in autumn. Responses were due in December.

The question on the survey asked whether people supported allowing additional height in new construction, if freeboard was involved. In all, the responses included 190 yes votes; 164 no votes; eight neutral votes; and one survey that was tossed out because it said both yes and no.

Some council members put full stock in the non-binding survey from late 2015.

“To me, the importance was the survey that was sent out. I said I would follow results of that survey,” said Weistling, who already supported additional freeboard in a town that lies completely in the floodplain. He noted that he has attended state planning meetings where the message was “elevate, elevate, elevate.”

But the survey itself caused consternation. It was sent out at one per property, not one per person, so each household could only produce one opinion. Some people didn’t even receive the survey, including Lee, who said she had to request another copy. For all that, 190 favorable votes is not a majority, said Lisa Benn, who ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in the 2015 election.

The 2007 Comprehensive Plan encourages houses to remain at a height less than 30 feet. But as Fenwick prepares the 10-year update for the plan, the State wants towns to address sea-level rise, Langan said. He said a myth exists that the council majority is pro-development.

However, “This is about saving homes and saving homeowners money,” he said.

Langan said he received emails from three opponents and one supporter of the ordinance.

Opponents at least wanted stronger wording of the ordinance, to prevent unintended consequences. But they mostly wanted the height limit left alone.

Williams, while absent from the Feb. 26 meeting, sent a letter of opposition.

“I am extremely disappointed to have this surface during my only absence of the year,” Williams wrote. “We already have voluntary freeboard. My observation is that most homeowners built their homes” within FEMA standards, but manage to stay under the 30-foot requirement.

“Freeboard makes sense. Everyone should do it,” Lee said, but she opposes a “one-size-fits-all” approach that would blanket the whole town.

“Two feet of freeboard will not eliminate the flooding problem on the bay side and will give the ocean side properties 2 additional feet which they do not need,” Lee’s letter stated.

But that’s not enough, said Langan and Councilman Gardner Bunting. A heavy storm can put oceanside homes underwater, too.

“You weren’t here in 1985 when [Hurricane] Gloria hit. We were,” Langan later told the crowd, recalling the massive oceanside flooding. “We lost 40 percent of our dune in this last storm,” he added of the January 2016 nor’easter called Jonas. “It’s very possible another storm could breach the dunes.”

But people won’t use the ordinance for home protection, argued Benn. They’ll just want it for the height increase, she said.

“One particular family said, ‘I want this two feet so I can build a deck on top of my house,’” Benn said “People will do it just because they can, not because of the flood issues. That’s my concern.”

But those people will also have taken the step of building a house with an extra two feet of freeboard, per the draft ordinance.

Meanwhile, the survey only referred to freeboard for new construction. The draft ordinance does not. The Charter & Ordinance Committee will address that discrepancy on March 8.

Mary Ellen Langan said she favored freeboard in a today’s modern world.

“It’s a different world today. We have sea-level rise. We have [serious storms]. It only makes sense to do it. What’s two feet?” Langan said. “This is done to protect the whole house.”

If people want extra protection, they should accomplish it within 30 feet, like everyone who already built in Fenwick, some argued.

Lynn Andrews said her house was built to 29 feet, 10.5 inches, with low ceilings to make room for extra freeboard.

“We like our little town the way it is.” Andrews said.

Mike Houser said he favored freeboard. But he said he’s concerned with the methodology of measuring house heights from the center of the street, instead preferring what he said would be a more equitable method, as individual lot heights can vary at either end of the same road. (The 2007 Comp Plan suggested that town officials amend this method of determining height.)

The public can continue speaking in favor or against the proposed ordinance, as the adoption of the ordinance requires a vote to approve it upon a second reading. A public hearing will likely be scheduled before the April 1 council meeting, and the council’s second reading (and final vote) can be expected that day.

In other Fenwick Island news:

• After Winter Storm Jonas, State of Delaware bulldozers have been pushing beach sand back onto the dunes. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t plan to stray from existing beach replenishment schedule, despite the storm damage. Fenwick Island’s next renourishment is slated for fall of 2017, though U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) this week was set to request emergency funding to restore portions of the state’s coastline to pre-storm conditions.

Langan said the Town is working with local and state legislators to be included in the already-scheduled 2016 Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach projects. Fenwick is holding a “double-edged sword,” Langan said. “We didn’t get that much damage like the other downs did. So I think we’re a very low priority.”

Fenwick’s future budget meetings will include discussion of beefing up the Town’s beach replenishment fund.

• Issues surrounding parking tags are up for debate in this April’s budget meetings. Each of Fenwick’s 816 properties gets one free hanging blue tag, but owners can purchase two more. There is concern about overcrowding of the 250 beachfront parking spots, the cost of tags, the availability of tags and the share-ability of tags used by people who don’t live in Fenwick.

From the year 2009 to 2015, town revenue from extra tags sold has jumped from about $100 to $5,500.

The public can contact Town Hall with opinions and ideas on town parking issues.

• The new town website should be completed by Memorial Day.

• The 2016 voter registration list will be presented to council at Memorial Day weekend meeting. This year’s election would be Saturday, Aug. 6.

• Fenwick police officers have now won three of the last four Joshua M. Freeman Overall Valor Awards. The council commended Lt. John Devlin, who won the 2016 Overall Valor Award, from among a group of local police, firefighters and EMTs.

• The FIPD has placed a new vehicle in service and sold the old surplus vehicle, actually making money between a County grant and the sale income.

• Nearly $8,000 was donated by local businesses and an individual to pay for about 13 new street lights, which were purchased in a special deal to buy two and get one free.

• With little feedback at the public hearing, the council unanimously approved new fencing guidelines, which state “Such a fence … shall have openings approximately 20 percent to 30 percent of the total surface area to provide for the flow-through of air. A detailed design drawing of the structure shall be submitted with the application for a building permit.”

Due to the Easter holiday, the council’s next meeting has been postponed to Friday, April 1, at 3:30 p.m.

The Bethany Beach Police Department went before the Sussex County Board of Adjustment earlier this week, with the hopes of receiving a special-use exception to operate a shooting range on a property it owns in unincorporated Frankford.

“The application says a target and shooting range. I’ll suggest to you that the more appropriate description of the intended use is a police training facility,” said attorney Rick Berl, who represented the Town of Bethany Beach at the hearing on Feb. 29.

“It’s not for a bunch of guys who are tuning up before hunting season. It’s not for a bunch of guys who want to have fun on a Saturday, doing some target shooting. Those kinds of things you do on video games these days.

“This is a police training facility. It’s for the members of the Bethany Beach Police Department to gain and maintain the certifications they need in the pursuit of their jobs. They’ve all sworn to protect and defend a certain well-defined segment of Sussex County, and in order to do that they need to maintain a certain proficiency in the use of their firearms. That’s precisely what this use is intended to accomplish.”

The property is zoned AR-1 and contains 7.02 acres. It is located on the west side of Blackwater Road, about 1,230 feet north of Burbage Road.

Berl said the range would be “strictly for the Bethany Beach Police Department,” their 10 active officers and two retired officers, including Town Manager Cliff Graviet, a retired Delaware State Police trooper.

Of allowing other agencies using the range, “At this point, that’s not part of the plan,” said Berl.

Berl said the range would not be open to the public or any other law-enforcement agency. As for concerns from citizens, he presented a letter from a Realtor with Bennett Realty, stating the range would not affect property values in the surrounding area.

Berls said the department “generally intends to” limit the use of the property to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“It’s a very narrow window and, realistically, no one should expect the range to be in use every day during those four hours… Under no circumstances, however, will that range ever be used on a weekend. That’s the one major promise that they can make, regardless of circumstances.”

John Murray, a project manager at Kercher Engineering, the Town’s engineering firm, said the outdoor range would be protected by a combination berm, fitted on three sides.

Murray said the U.S. Department of the Interior’s design standards for range criteria would be used when designing Bethany’s proposed berm. He also noted that the property was historically used for agricultural purposes and housed a homestead, outbuildings and a poultry house.

Murray explained that the range would be erected on the west end of the property, with fire directed west as well. The closest home to the range itself is 932 feet, with the second-closest home located 1,223 feet from the range.

BBPD Capt. Darin Cathell, who has 19 years in law enforcement, has also been a certified firearms instructor for the last 14 years.

Cathell said all law-enforcement officers in the state are required by the Council on Police Training to shoot two daylight and one lowlight qualifications annually.

“They allow you to combine one daylight and one lowlight qualification on the same day for completion… Outside of those qualifications, we want to allow our officers some use of the range if they want to practice and be proficient.”

He noted, however, that the officers would have to get preapproval to go out and use the range even during those hours.

Cathell said the department chose the mid-morning/early afternoon hours for range operation because they felt it was the “least intrusive to neighboring properties.”

The availability of ranges, said Cathell, is limited, in part because of travel.

“The Bridgeville range is a ride from Bethany Beach. The majority of my officers live on the east side. Getting everybody there at one time leaves our town unattended.”

As for sound from the range, Cathell said the department tested the decibel level of firing his service weapon on the property three times, with a decibel reader located at the far east end of the property.

“The decibel reader during those three rounds read just over 83 decibels. To give you an idea of what that is, at that distance, 85 decibels would be a lawnmower. That’s without a berm.”

The property is not gated, nor does it have a surrounding fence. Cathell said signs have been posted outside the property.

Board member Norman Rickard asked what the department’s plans were to keep unwelcomed people off the property and prevent them from using the range.

“How would you keep an eye on that? Just by people reporting to you?”

“Correct. For the time-being, that’s what it would have to be,” said Cathell, adding that the area is patrolled by the Delaware State Police.

While the County received two letters in support and two in opposition to the application, during the public hearing on Monday, 18 people spoke in opposition to the application. No one spoke in favor. Of those in attendance at Monday’s meeting, 34 were in opposition.

A number of attendees voiced their concerns as to how the range could adversely affect the area’s wildlife, including a number of bald eagles. One man said he wouldn’t be opposed to the range if the officers used “green” bullets and noise suppression on their weapons, to prevent lead seeping into the aquifer.

One attendee questioned why BBPD needed a range, when there were others available within a reasonable driving distance, away from residential properties.

Deborah Salins said she fears the shooting would adversely affect her health.

“I can’t take the shooting noise. It’s just not right,” she said. “This is a nice, quiet residential neighborhood.”

Owen Smith, who lives about a quarter-mile from the range, said noise travels easily, and he can often hear the train in Frankford.

“You all would not want to live near a place like this,” he said. “It’s not the quality of life we seek.”

Willia Peoples, whose property is the second-closest to the range, said she has a great respect for law enforcement and for what the department is trying to do but does not want it in her back yard.

“I feel like it’s very limiting to what now I’m able to look into the future to do,” she said.

Peoples, who owns two Boston terriers and fosters other dogs, said the range would adversely affect when and how she can use her property.

Brian Marvel, who lives with Peebles, said he’s concerned because the department is “very unsure of what they’re going to do.”

“‘Well, it could be this and it could be that.’ There is nothing set in stone on what they’re going to do there,” said Marvel. “We invested in a piece of property, like everyone else in this room. We plan on keeping our investment. I don’t feel this would help us out at all.”

Rickard said that both the applicant and the opposition had given the Board a lot to think about, and moved to table the Board’s decision. The Board unanimously voted to defer action until their March 21 meeting.

To view the exact location of the parcel, visit http://maps.sussexcountyde.gov/OnlineMap/Map.html?ParcelId=134-11.00-54.....

BART announces scholarship in the arts

The Bethany Area Repertory Theater (BART) this week announced the availability of applications for its 2016 Scholarship in the Arts. An eligible applicant must be a graduating high school student in Sussex County who plans to pursue a higher education degree in the arts. Completed applications are due April 1 for the 2016-2017 academic year.

In its fourth year of operation, the Board of Directors of the Bethany Area Repertory Theater approved a major initiative, referred to as “20?by?20.” Under the 20?by?20 Program, BART’s goal is to support the educational aspirations of local high school students by awarding 20 scholarships by the year 2020. BART will award its first scholarships this year in amounts up to $1,000.

From its beginnings in 2012, BART has presented live theater through the generosity of local area residents, volunteers and patrons.

“By the end of our current season, we will have produced over 18 full-length plays totaling close to 110 performances, bringing more than 2,000 Bethany?area residents together for entertainment and comradery during the fall and winter months,” said Bob Ravida, vice-president of BART and director of the scholarship program.

To that end, BART has relied on sponsorships and donations to augment ticket sales to manage the operational costs of the productions. To achieve the goal of 20-by-20, BART has engaged the community through its plays and musicals, earmarking donations and show profits to the BART Scholarship Fund, held by the Encore Foundation, established by Rich Bloch, owner of the Dickens Parlour Theatre in Millville.

“It is our hope that the BART Scholarship Fund will not only produce several student scholarships annually,” said Ravida, “but that the funding will at some point reach a level that will permit BART to meet this goal freely on top of operational costs.”

To request a scholarship application, send an email request to, BARTinBethany@gmail.com or call Bob Ravida, BART Scholarship Program director, at (240) 483-1338. To support BART’s 20?by?20 initiative, request a donation form at BARTinBethany@gmail.com, or send a donation directly to BART, 38335 Canal St., Ocean View, DE 19970. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. More information on BART is available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BARTinBethany.

Grise Memorial Scholarship to be granted to local student

The Preceptor Omega Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Chapter this spring will be granting the Howard D. Grise Memorial Scholarship to a qualified high school graduate. Candidates must reside in the Indian River High School attendance area and demonstrate a commitment to the community through volunteerism.

Applications may be obtained from Indian River High School or Sussex Technical High School, or by email at deborahgrise@yahoo.com, or calling (302) 537-7288. The application deadline is April 15.

AARP offers college scholarships

The South Coastal Delaware chapter of AARP announced this week that applications for their college scholarships are available from the guidance councillors’ office at Indian River High School. The scholarships will be awarded to two IRHS seniors, based on their academic achievement, community and school activities, an essay and challenges the student has overcome.

For the essay, students must write about how they have benefited from high school, community and work activities and how college will prepare them to meet their life’s goals.

The deadline for submitting applications, available from the guidance office, is April 25.

The local AARP chapter also provides scholarships for adult students at Delaware Technical & Community College. That application process is administered through Del Tech.

The chapter will sponsor its ninth annual Artisans Fair on Saturday, May 28, at Lord Baltimore School in Ocean View to raise money for the scholarship fund.

AAUW offering scholarships to senior girls

The Coastal-Georgetown Branch of the American Association of University Women recently announced a scholarship opportunity for graduating high-school senior girls planning to attend college or university in the fall of 2016 who attend Cape Henlopen, Indian River, Milford, Sussex Central or Sussex Technical High Schools. Two scholarships of $2,000 each will be awarded.

Applications are available from school counselors. The deadline for applications is April 15. The awards will be announced in early May.

Ralph Helm scholarships to be awarded to IRHS seniors

The Lord Baltimore Lions Club announced this week that, again for 2016, the club will award three scholarships to eligible graduating seniors at Indian River High School. Each recipient will receive a one-year scholarship valued at $1,500 toward their freshman year of college.

Scholarship applications are now available on the website at www.lordbaltimorelionsclub.com or through the guidance office at Indian River High School. The scholarships are awarded annually to senior students who attend Indian River High School and reside within one of the 19930, 19939, 19945, 19967 or 19970 ZIP codes. Applications are reviewed by a committee who will rate each applicant on community service activities, as well as academic achievement and financial need.

Scholarships are in memory of Lion Ralph Helm, who was a member of the Lord Baltimore Club who served as club president, district governor and an international director of Lions International.

Entries sought for Jim Cresson Memorial Fund Scholarship

Applications are currently being accepted for the Jim Cresson Memorial Fund scholarship, administered by the Greater Lewes Foundation.

Each year, the fund provides a $1,000 scholarship to further a student’s interest in journalistic or creative writing. The award can be used for such educational expenses as tuition, room and board, textbooks or computer equipment, and is paid directly to the student.

Cresson was a journalist for the Cape Gazette newspaper who died in an accident in 2005. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved animals and who had a deep affinity with the Native Americans who reside in Delaware.

Cresson was also a Vietnam veteran and was known for many talents, including music and whittling. He particularly enjoyed young people, which led his friends to establish the Jim Cresson Memorial Scholarship to keep his memory alive.

Interested Sussex County high school seniors should submit an essay of 750 to 1,000 words on one of the following topics: my outdoor/environmental experiences in Sussex County, what pet animals have meant to me, my most memorable Sussex County characters, what the U.S. military means to me or Sussex County Native Americans.

Guidelines are available from guidance counselors in Sussex County high schools. Entries can be submitted to the Jim Cresson Scholarship, c/o The Greater Lewes Foundation, P.O. Box 802, Lewes, DE 19958. The deadline is March 31. The winner will be notified by May 16.

The winning essay will be printed in the Cape Gazette and posted online.

Sussex Academy student selected as 2016 Carson Scholar

Sussex Academy junior David Cohen Davis has been selected as a 2016 Carson Scholar. With the honor, Davis will receive a $1,000 scholarship that will be invested for his college education.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Ben Carson Scholarships. In 1996, they started with 25 scholarships, and the scholarships now have a scholar network of more than 7,300 students. To apply, a student must meet a minimum GPA requirement and display humanitarian qualities through community service.

“It feels great to have won such a selective national scholarship. I know that my Sussex Academy experiences have helped prepare me for this and future challenges to come,” stated Davis.

Davis and his parents, Bill and Andi Davis of Seaford, will attend the Carson Scholars Fund 20th Anniversary Ceremony on Sunday, April 10, in Baltimore, Md.

Sussex Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school centrally located in Georgetown. Currently serving grades 6-11, grade 12 will be added in the fall of 2016. The school practices an Expeditionary Learning approach, and all grade 11 and 12 students will be enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. For additional information, contact Gina Derrickson, community and communications manager at (302) 856-3636 or gina.derrickson@saas.k12.de.us.

Indian River High School recently announced its honor roll students for the second marking period in the 2015-2016 school year.

Students receiving High Honors were:

• Seniors Melisa Alcon Lopez, Davina Baine, Alissa Banks, Brooke Beam, Eliza Bomhardt, Darren Bowden, James Brannon, Ella Buchanan, Tiffany Cain, Aja Campbell, Anthony Catrino, Joseph Cooper, William Cotter, Madison Cox, Veronica Culver, Jennifer Delfin, Sofia DiGirolamo, John Douds Jr., Ana Natalia Elling, Jake Elliott, Emma Engel, Brooke Fischer, Logan Galbreath, Brandon Galliher, Cameron Goff, Jonathan Green, Madison Griffin, Erik Gulbronson, Heather Hastings, Donald Hattier, Alexander Hileman, Casey Hitchens, Madison Hoehn, Tori Holland, Dylan Hudson, Jacob Hudson, Kayla Huebner, Adam Izzo, Kali Kellam, Russell Kennedy, Sarah King, Sarah Klepac, Leah Kneller, Sarah Kraushaar, Samuel Krim, Todd Larsen, Caroline Lingenfelter, Madison Lively, Joshua Lucido, Nicholas Mandato, Madison McCabe, Karly McCarra, Lauren McCoy, Callie McDowell, Madison Mercer, Emma Lee Merrick, Dillon Mitchell, Gunnar Moldrik, Logan Montuori, Bethany Moran, Paiton Murray, Ky’Lesha Neal, Haylee Olley, McKenzie Paddock, Samuel Palmer, Meghan Paulus, Hope Pearce, Edgar Perez, Brandon Perez Cartas, Richard Powell Jr., Clay Reynolds, Jacob Ricci, Kaitlin Richards, Brooke Roughton, Jared Ryan, Tiffany Rybicki, Elizabeth Saylor, Emiley Shuey, Carley Snyder, Madison Sturla, Riley Taylor, Madison Thune, Natalie Tobin, Dallas Tucker, Taylor Wayland, Haylee Wells, Katherine Whaley, Mary Whaley, Samuel Wood, Sarah Wood and Melissa Woody.

• Juniors Jared Arlett, Devin Bailey, Ulises Barrientos, Rachel Beers, Bridgette Blatzheim, McKenna Burke, Rachel Burke, Shelby Cannatelli, Michael Cedeno, Colby Chandler, Brianna Chatfield, Keith Chatterton, Joseph Ciriello II, Makenzie Collins, Chance Congleton, Arely Cruz, Octavio Cuenca, Ma’Kayla DeShields, Danielle Dungan Moore, Amber Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Andrea Elsby, Kayla Emerson, John Evans III, Berkleigh Fadden, David Fike, Margaret Ford, Grant Gano, Magda Gomez, Josephine Grimes, Lindsey Grow, Alexis Haden, Erin Haden, Madison Hogsten, Brandon Horton, Zion Howard, Skyler Hudson, Tysheika Hudson, John Keller, Athena Liadakis, Cristina Lopez, Saray Lopez, Mariayna Lovelace, Matthew Lyons, George Martin, Griffin McCormick, Jason McKenna, Hayden McWilliams, Sydney Messick, Mikie Mochiam, Keontae Mumford, Samantha Mumford, Elizabeth Murray, Samantha Mushrush, Tamber Neumann, Diana Ngo, Madelyn Parcells, Richard Parrett, Michael Payan, William Pollard, Alexis Purcell, Kenya Purnell, Kyle Rayne, Jasenky Rivera, Angelina Roca, Gaibreal Rodriguez, Samuel Rojas, Jessica Roman, Sara Saylor, Kelsey Shoemaker, Justin Steele, Max Stong, Joshua Timmons, Oceana Travalini, Paige Troublefield, Lexi Ucman, Alejandra Velazques, Kerinne Walls, Kayla Wathen, Hannah Webb, Andrew C. White, Robert Wille and Joelle Wojtylak.

• Sophomores Alberto Alamillo Jr., Kealey Allison, Laura Andrade, Jessica Beaston, Peyton Beebe, Delaney Brannon, Leah Brasure, Mikaela Brosnahan, Jessica Bunting, Kennedy Butch, Adam Carpenter, Carly Collins, Erin Cooney, Michael Corcoran, Kaleigh Cordrey, Zofia Czyzewski, Micah d’Entremont, Joud Dabaj, Helen Davis, Olivia Garvey, Kevon Harmon, Lauren Hawkins, Brianna Henry, Cassidy Hoehn, Donasia Hopkins, Brianna Johnson, Dahria Kalmbach, Matthew Koontz, Brittany Lee, Marilia Lopes, Connor Maestas, Nathaniel McCabe, Ryan McCoy, Kelsey Murray, Trayona Nock, Marbeli Ortiz, Savannah Padgett, Mya Parks, Cher Robinson, Gisselle Rodriguez, Jessica Rodriguez, Jemisell Rosas, Andrew Scalard, Sarandon Slebodnick, Mason Smack, Mark Smith, Katrina Staib, Emily Tharby, Mia Truitt, Carly Warner, Mackenzie Webb, Samantha Whelen, Ishmael Willey, Isabel Wolfenbarger, Taylor Woodington and Jewel Yanek; and

• Freshmen Robert Argo, Patrick Banks, Michael Barnes, Gabriel Barnhart, Thomas Blackiston, Riley Blatzheim, William Brewington, Jordan Broughton, Haleigh Brown, Kathleen Carter, Gavin Clattenburg, Kylie Cliborne, Kathryn Collins, Nathan Cooper, Alexzandro Corpus, Jarren Cropper, Andres Cruz, Thomas Daehn, Mariah Dant, Nicholas DiGirolamo, Allison Douds, Brianna Dulsky, Jarod Elliott, Grace Engel, Alexa Fitz, Lindsey Furbush, Grace Furman, Robert Gonzalez II, Yohana Gonzalez, Damon Grimes, Lauren Gulbronson, Kaleb Harrington, William Hickman, Amber Hills, Kevin Ho, Jordyn Hogsten, Andrew Holladay, Jon Hubscher, Gabrielle Hudson, Richard Hutchins, Lekyra Johnson, Julia Jordan, Isabella Keith, Maryann Khansoth, Madison Killen, Destiny Klingensmith, Kaitlyn Kreiser, Logan Krick, Lennon La Ricci, Alexis Landrie, Analy Marquez, John Martin, Noah Martin, Luke McCabe, Mitchell McGee, Jose Mejia, Isabelle Micielli, Samuel Miltner, Luke Morgan, Abigail O’Shields, Martin Olguin, Porter Palmer, Dominic Patille, Nicole Patille, Maya Potter, Rita Ramirez, Veronica Ramos, Bryan Rayne, Rowan Reusing, Sarah Roehl, Renata Rosas, Kayla Rutherford, Brianna Sassi, Megan Schafer, Ian Shaner, Victoria Shaner, Chelsea Shipp, Jake Sneeringer, Grace Snyder, Patrick Spencer, Frederick Stinglin, Katelyn Timmons, Daniel Tull, Reshawn Turner, Dylan Tuttle, Tony Velasquez, Kashid Waples, Brooke Weaver, Alexis Webb, Hannah Whaley, Zachary Wisniewski, Lily Wylie, Amber Zellers and Kira Ziskay.

The following IRHS students received Honors for the second marking period:

• Seniors Joseph Anderson, Carolyn Benton, Itzayana Beranza, Hannah Blakely, Mitchell Bolton, Krista Carroll, Aline Check Guzman, Victoria Distler, Garret Driscoll, Zachary Enelio, Ryan Engh, Taylor Evans, Jose Gonzales, Barry Hooper, Amanda Josetti, Katelyn Kneller, Emily Laczkowski, Josue Lynch, Jahlyek Major, Kayla McCarra, Blake McCleary, Leah Morris, William Murray, Alexis Papiri, Juana Pascual, Nicolas Perez, Conner Phillips, John Roehl, Mason Sanders, Raymundo Santos, Spencer Shipley, Hannah Shultie, Peyton Townsend, Kylie Ucman, Kyle Wade, Ian Walls, Kayla Welsh, John Wharton III, Jordan Wright, Kyle Yerkes, Tiffany Zavala and Kaya Ziskay.

• Juniors Stanley Beckett Jr., Jordan Berrish, Nathan Bishop, Dustin Blevins, Hanna Boyer, Cheyanne Burroughs, Jennifer Castro, Daisey Chavez, David Clark, Karrah Clark, Jorge Cruz, Abigail Cuenca, Denilson de Leon, Thomas DiBuo, Jennifer Dietz, Iris Elechko, Nicholas Feldman, Jacey Fitzpatrick, Gerald Foreman, Stephanie Gil, Maynor Gomez, Gianni Gottschalk, Breannah Griffith, Desiree Hastings, Natalie Herrera, Cameron James, Christopher Jones, Chance Kamin, Nathaniel Kramer, Kiersten McCurley, Madison McGee, Patrick Mochiam, Darren Moore, Odaliz Ortiz, Ivania Perez, Olivia Ruberti, Stormy Schaub, Kenneth Schnabele, Garett Scott, McClain Smith, Tymber Starr, Gerrod Trader, Ivan Velasquez, Jordi Velasquez, Callahan Weber, Chloe Webster and Brittany Zellers.

• Sophomores Anthony Argetsinger, Latayja Atkins, Vance Atkins, Ryan Blades, Julia Bomhardt, Markus Cadeza, Tallie Callahan, Andrew Chatterton, Albert Clark, Bret Cobb, Matthew Collins, Niaja Costen, Lauryn Cox, Joseph D’Orazio, Paul Diaz, Sierra DiVincenzo, Collin Donaway, Isabel Elvira, Amanda Evans, Patreese Fisher, Hannah Gentry, Cameron Hall, Cole Hitch, Brooke Hoban, Shannon Hubscher, Calvin James, Jada Johnson, Mckenzie Johnson, Pryce Jones, Kara Klink, Kathryn Koontz, Thomas Koontz, Wyatt Kovatch, Abigail Lathbury, Jing Li, Ava Marcozzi, Fabrea McCray, Elaina Miranda, Brianna Moore, David Navarro Jr., Anthony Prosachik, Alexander Pszczola IV, Jordan Ramirez, Kalob Rickards, Jasmine Rodriguez, John Schoonfield, Landon Seeney, Austin Shupe, Zyel Smith, Sabrina Sturla, Stephanie Tapia, Jaden Turlington, Edgardo Velasquez, David Vickers, Ryan Walter, Tylor Weaver, Natalie Wells, Andrew D White, Benjamin Wilson and Brock Wingate; and

• Freshmen Jacob Anderson, Alvaro Andrade, Ethan Archibald, Molly Beattie, Kristal Beranza, Jesse Burroughs, John Castle Jr., Jennifer Chora, Mary Cooper, Simon d’Entremont, Yohanfer de Leon Mejia, Hayley Dickerson, Francine Drummond, Brayan Elvira, Carlos Escalante, Noelle Feldman, Ryan Foxwell, Madison Galbreath, Victoria Gee, Roxana Gil, Mackenzie Gorey, Lauren Grow, Thomas Hernandez, Alexandra Hess, Kody Hickman, Paige Hitchens, Megan Hurd, Cody Jones, Garrett Jones, Jaiquez Jones, Jarrett Joseph, Morgan Keyser, Jason Killen, Rachel LaGasse, Olivia Lease, Jacob Little, Megan Magoon, Samantha Mayfield, Skyler McClure, Luis Melo, Maykin Nunez, Jhony Ortiz, Ronyai Perkins, Bryan Ramos, Martina Rexrode, Juan Romero, Heather Scarlavai, Zachary Schultz, Giovanni Smith, Nia Smith, Caden Spilman, Makaija Taylor, Austin Truitt, Steven Vale, Destiny Vandyke, Kyle Walker, Kayleigh Whitlock, Alyssa Williams and Marette Zorn.

Coastal Point • Submitted: Pictured from left are Kristie Maravalli, Emilie Cook, local artist John Donato, Lauren Weaver and Sue Nilsson.For Selbyville resident Bob Katz, being a volunteer with the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation was a way to say “thank you” for bringing the arts to his back yard. What has kept him coming back is the people he has encountered along the way.

For three years, Katz has volunteered with the nonprofit arts organization at the Freeman Stage at Bayside, as well as for its Arts in Education program, with the legacy mural projects for middle schools.

The mural project provides an opportunity to bolster confidence and inspiration within the student body. It also offers students an opportunity to experience the visual arts first hand and provide a visual legacy in their school for future students.

In conjunction with the Freeman Foundation, local artist John Donato leads students throughout the project as he assists them in developing ideas and painting the mural pieces.

Donato is one of the reasons Katz has continued to volunteer with the mural projects, he said.

“His passion is palpable,” Katz said. “I enjoy the students and teachers trying to create something memorable for themselves and the school.”

Most recently, Katz was a volunteer at Milford Central Academy, helping with its week-long mural project, which began on Feb. 29.

The overall theme at Milford Central Academy consisted of personalized book spines painted by each student, and focused on the school’s growth mindset philosophy. The public reveal of the mural was held on March 7.

The growth mindset helps students believe they can succeed and that mistakes are OK, according to Mark McDaniel, assistant principal at Milford Central Academy.

The mural project worked well with the growth mindset, he said, because students were able to understand that, while they might not think of themselves as artists, they can produce great art.

“Part of the obstacle is believing you can do something when you don’t think you can, and once you start trying, you realize you start to experience success,” he said, adding that students were excited to leave their mark on the school.

The students’ energy was one of Kristie Maravelli’s favorite parts about volunteering at the Milford mural project. The executive director of the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce and three other Chamber employees decided, as a team, that they wanted to do a volunteer project, which led them to the mural project. They spent several hours on Feb. 29 helping students find their desired stencils and paint colors, cleaning and sorting paint brushes and interacting with the middle-schoolers.

“When you come in with no expectations and, within the first 10 to 15 minutes, [you see] their creativity, their energy, it’s really elevating,” Maravelli said.

Other volunteers were also impressed with the level of maturity of the students at Milford Central Academy, as well as the creativity they brought and positive attitude they possessed on a daily basis, said Denise DiSabatino Allen, community outreach, education and volunteer coordinator for the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation.

“The growth mindset allowed volunteers to connect with students personally and reinforce the importance of trying new things,” she said.

The impact the programs have on those who participate wouldn’t be possible without the help of the volunteers, Allen added.

“Volunteers are critical to the success of our arts in education programs, especially our legacy mural projects,” she said.

While the Chamber’s staff may have been first-time Joshua M. Freeman Foundation volunteers, Maravelli said they would love to do it again.

“I think it’s important for service, but more so with our youth, because this is really a time you can mold and make a difference,” she said. “It’s the great part of being a part of such a great community.”

Katz echoed Maravelli’s sentiments when asked why he would recommend others volunteer with the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation.

“You’re able to be a part of a great team who shares your values,” he said. “I have met new friends who are now an important part of my life. There is some hard work, but every day is enjoyable.”

To become volunteer or to learn more about the volunteer opportunities at the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, visit http://freemanstage.org/support/#tabs-support-tab-5 or contact Denise DiSabatino Allen, community outreach, education and volunteer coordinator, at denise@freemanfoundation.org or (302) 213-6997.