The students of the Indian River High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) and Future Farmers of America (FFA) will walk, jog and run to raise funds for the school, which is introducing a program called My School Color Run (MSCR).
Rather than traditional fundraising that involves selling goods, the MSCR aims to engage the entire student body in a fitness initiative that aims to install a lifelong healthy way of living. The BPA and FFA will keep 100 percent of all donations and sponsorships received.
In addition to the run, students will seek pledges and donors to help raise additional funds.
“We’re extremely excited about the launch of the My School Color Run program at our school,” said Jennifer Cordrey, a faculty advisor for the FFA. “We’re looking forward to involving our entire student body and faculty in a fun and healthy program. We want to engage the entire community, and encourage local businesses and individual community members to get involved.”
The color run will be held on June 11 at IRHS, at 29722 Armory Road, Dagsboro, and will be open to the public. The event is an untimed fun-run. Runners will pass through several color stations throughout the course and end with a color toss.
Those interested in participating can register for the run by visiting indianriverbpaandffacolorrun.eventbrite.com or by completing a paper registration form prior to the event. Anyone interested in more information or businesses interested in sponsoring it can contact Cordrey at Jennifer.Cordrey@irsd.k12.de.us or Stephanie Wilkinson at Stephanie.Wilkinson@irsd.k12.de.us.

The students of the Indian River High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) and Future Farmers of America (FFA) will walk, jog and run to raise funds for the school, which is introducing a program called My School Color Run (MSCR).
Rather than traditional fundraising that involves selling goods, the MSCR aims to engage the entire student body in a fitness initiative that aims to install a lifelong healthy way of living. The BPA and FFA will keep 100 percent of all donations and sponsorships received.
In addition to the run, students will seek pledges and donors to help raise additional funds.
“We’re extremely excited about the launch of the My School Color Run program at our school,” said Jennifer Cordrey, a faculty advisor for the FFA. “We’re looking forward to involving our entire student body and faculty in a fun and healthy program. We want to engage the entire community, and encourage local businesses and individual community members to get involved.”
The color run will be held on June 11 at IRHS, at 29722 Armory Road, Dagsboro, and will be open to the public. The event is an untimed fun-run. Runners will pass through several color stations throughout the course and end with a color toss.
Those interested in participating can register for the run by visiting indianriverbpaandffacolorrun.eventbrite.com or by completing a paper registration form prior to the event. Anyone interested in more information or businesses interested in sponsoring it can contact Cordrey at Jennifer.Cordrey@irsd.k12.de.us or Stephanie Wilkinson at Stephanie.Wilkinson@irsd.k12.de.us.

Coastal Kayak of Fenwick Island has planned three fundraisers for local charities for the summer of 2016.
The public is being invited to “Paddle with your Pooch” on Saturday, April 30, from noon to 3 p.m., in support of the Worcester County Humane Society. Coastal Kayak’s American Canoe Association (ACA)-certified standup paddleboard and kayak instructors will be on hand to give tips — no paddling experience is necessary.
“This will be the perfect opportunity to try both paddleboarding and kayaking, and to treat your pet to a day on the beautiful Little Assawoman Bay. All are welcome, with or without a pet, to help Worcester County Humane Society pets get a new ‘leash’ on life,” organizers said.
The Worcester County Humane Society is a no-kill shelter and is located in Berlin, Md. It relies primarily on donations to fund their mission to find loving families for stray and abandoned animals.
All pets attending the April 30 event must be on a leash. Adult and child lifejackets will be provided; however, pet owner can bring their own canine PFD if necessary. No reservations are required, and donations will be accepted in lieu of a rental fee.
On Sunday afternoon, May 22, Coastal Kayak will hold their 15th Annual Paddle for a Cure, benefitting Delaware’s Cancer Support Community. The Cancer Support Community is a state-wide organization whose mission is to “ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community.” To learn more about their mission, visit www.cancersupportdelaware.org.
This year’s paddle will be for intermediate paddlers — no first-timers or kids younger than 13. It will be a short paddle with a big pay-off, as paddlers will explore the Ocean City commercial harbor, paddle along the north end of Assateague Island, and land their kayaks to enjoy an incredible view.
Donations to the Delaware Cancer Support Community will be collected in lieu of a registration fee. Space is limited, and registration is required. Paddling experience is a must, but Coastal Kayak will supply kayaks at no charge.
On Sunday evening, June 19, Coastal Kayak will offer a special Salt Marsh Sunset/Moonrise Tour to benefit the Delaware Audubon Society. The Delaware Audubon Society is dedicated to developing a better appreciation of natural resources and working for species and habitat conservation. For more information, visit www.delawareaudubon.org.
Participants, with expert guides, will be able to enjoy a twilight paddle through the salt marshes of the Rehoboth Bay, hoping to see osprey, blue herons and oyster catchers, as well as the annual spawning rituals of the horseshoe crabs. Space is limited, and advance reservations are required.
In the last five years, Coastal Kayak has donated thousands of dollars to organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Delaware Wild Lands, Horseshoe Crab Conservation Fund (ERDG), Justin’s Beach House, Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute (MERR), Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF), Rebecca Adams Green Foundation, SMAC! (Sock Monkeys Against Cancer), Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research and the Worcester County Humane Society.
For more information and additional details, visit www.coastalkayak.com, call (302) 539-7999, email info@coastalkayak.com or stop by 36840 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, across from the Fenwick Island State Park bathhouse.

Coastal Point • Submitted: Among the Millville VFC members recognized for their life-saving efforts were: Stephen Gilbert, Dillon Baker, John Watson, Brian McConlogue, Aaron Driscoll, Marissa Carmello, Robert Richardson, Madeline McGrath and Doug Scott. Not pictured are Richie Walls and Nick Harrington.On Saturday, April 9, the Sussex County Paramedics sponsored the 2016 Phoenix Awards at the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company. The Phoenix Awards are given to first-responders who were integral in providing emergency care to someone who was in cardiac arrest and lived to tell about it. The ceremony is designed to reunite survivors with his or her responders in a celebration of life.

In all, 11 members of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company were honored at the ceremony for their participation in saving someone’s life. For the survivors who were able to be in attendance, there were plenty of hugs and handshakes being exchanged, since this was the first time the individuals have seen each other since the day of the rescue.

“The Millville Volunteer Fire Company is very fortunate to have a Lucas device placed on each one of its ambulances since January 2015,” noted MVFC PIO Bob Powell. “This was a direct result of business owners and the citizens we serve stepping up to the plate to assist in the purchase of these devices.”

The Millville VFC members recognized for their life-saving efforts were: Stephen Gilbert, Dillon Baker, John Watson, Brian McConlogue, Aaron Driscoll, Marissa Carmello, Robert Richardson, Madeline McGrath, Doug Scott, Richie Walls and Nick Harrington.

The Lucas CPR Device is a device used to assist in giving quality compressions to “sudden cardiac arrest” patients. In order to be able to save the lives of sudden cardiac arrest patients and avoid neurological damage, a steady supply of oxygen to the heart and brain is necessitated. Life-sustaining circulation can be created through effective and uninterrupted chest compressions.

“Performing manual chest compressions of high quality is both difficult and tiring, and impossible in certain situations,” Powell noted. “The quality varies depending on who provides CPR and deteriorates quickly after only one or two minutes. The Lucas Chest Compression System is a safe and efficient tool that standardizes chest compressions in accordance with the latest scientific guidelines. It provides the same quality for all patients over time, independent of transport conditions, rescuer fatigue, or variability in the experience level of the caregiver. By doing this, it frees up rescuers to focus on other life-saving tasks and creates new rescue opportunities.”

Experimental studies, he said, show that the mechanically controlled Lucas compressions are able to sustain a higher blood flow to the brain and heart compared to manual compressions. The side-effects are similar to manual compressions. Lucas does compressions according to guidelines — on the middle of the chest, not more, not less, said Powell.

In 2015, the Millville Volunteer Fire Company responded to 15 cardiac arrests. Out of the 15 cardiac arrests, five of the patients had already died, and no resuscitation efforts were given. The 10 remaining patients all received resuscitation efforts, and the Lucas Device was applied. Five of those patients had a positive outcome and were able to walk out of the hospital and return to their families.

“The citizens of our community should be proud of the dedication that is given to our community. One of the cardiac arrest patients received care from an Ocean View police officer and was given a shock by the AED the Ocean View police carry in their cars,” Powell said. “We work very closely with Ocean View Police Department, and they can be seen at many of the calls that we respond to.

“Once again, the Millville Volunteer Fire Company is very thankful to the citizens and business owners that donated hard-earned money to assist the fire company in the purchase of three Lucas devices,” Powell said. “This goes to show how important community involvement and donations assist the fire company every day in saving the lives of our citizens.

The biggest donor for the Lucas device project was the Atlantic Community Thrift Shop (ACTS), which purchased one of the three Lucas devices, for $15,000

“These devices have assisted in touching the lives of so many. The MVFC thanks every business and individual who helped in the purchase of these very valuable life-saving devices.”

Worcester Preparatory School Headmaster Barry Tull recently congratulated the students who made the Worcester Prep Term 3 Headmaster’s List for the 2015-2016 school year.

Students on the Headmaster’s List earned an average of 93 percent or above in their major subjects and had no grade lower than 76 percent in any subject. Students on the Honorable Mention List achieved an average of 89-92 percent in their major subjects and had no grade lower than 76 percent in any subject.

Students on the Headmaster’s List for the term included:

• Grade 6: Grace Baeurle, Rehoboth Beach; Lily Baeurle, Rehoboth Beach; Ayush Batra, Rehoboth Beach; Myranda Beebe, Rehoboth Beach; Alex Bunting, Selbyville; Austin Cannon, Salisbury; Anna Carpenter, Berlin; Kate Conaway, Selbyville; Tabitha Curry, Harbeson; Brooke Emeigh, Seaford; Nick Hearne, Salisbury; Sydney Lamson-Reich, Rehoboth Beach; Abbey Miller, Salisbury; Maggie Miller, Salisbury; Katharine Moore, Rehoboth Beach; Marshall Mumford, Bethany Beach; Camden Rayne, Willards; Brice Richins, Berlin; Pranay Sanwal, Lewes; Riley Schoch, Salisbury; Sumira Sehgal, Lewes; Anders Taylor, Ocean City

• Grade 7: Chipper Becker, Rehoboth Beach; Ryan Brafman, Rehoboth Beach; Ben Brandt, Berlin; Mason Brown, Rehoboth Beach; Connor Carpenter, Berlin; Daniel Chen, Salisbury; Waverly Choy, Rehoboth Beach; Meredith Cummings, Frankford; Anna Dashiell, Ocean City; Bryn Elliott, Rehoboth Beach; Ava Gerachis, Ocean City; Grace Hopkins, Lewes; Alex Koppenhaver, Rehoboth Beach; Cole Lamson-Reich, Rehoboth Beach; C.C. Lizas, Berlin; Sophia Ludt, Selbyville; Kaden Mault, Ocean City; Graham McColgan, Millsboro; Kat McCormick, Bishopville; Adam Meacci, Rehoboth Beach; Will Mears, Berlin; Brugh Moore, Rehoboth Beach; Fiona Pando, Lewes; Tenley Pelot, Salisbury; Hannah Perdue, Salisbury; Vincent Petrera, Salisbury; Joseph Schwartz, Eden; Marika Vasilikos, Rehoboth Beach; Summer Walker, Church Creek; Tiernan Weinstein, Ocean City; Lexi Willey, Milton

• Grade 8: McKenzie Blake, Lewes; Charlie Brinker, Berlin; Ty Burton, Millsboro; Rylie Carey, Dagsboro; Frankie Carter, Lewes; Emily Copeland, Lewes; Karim Dahr, Lewes; Korina Gjikuria, Ocean City; Carly Hoffman, Ocean City; Max Huber, Berlin; Kennedy Humes, Rehoboth Beach; Annika Larsen, Ocean City; Kurt Leinemann, Ocean City; Quinn McColgan, Millsboro; Hana Miller, Willards; Liza Moore, Rehoboth Beach; Abbi Nechay, Hebron; Spencer Paquette, Ocean City; Joe Perrotta, Salisbury; Steve Perrotta, Salisbury; Abigail Plylar, Salisbury; Kelly Polk, Bethany Beach; Ayrton Pryor, Selbyville; Molly Pugh, Berlin; Abby Taylor, Lewes; Max Taylor, Ocean City; Ellie Todorov, Bishopville; Madison Van Orden, Berlin; Devin Wallace, Berlin; Enzo Zechiel, Lewes

• Grade 9: Delaney Abercrombie, Salisbury; Dominic Anthony, Seaford; Virginia Bateman, Rehoboth Beach; Cole Berry, Bishopville; Parker Brandt, Berlin; Alexander Canakis, Bishopville; Mia Carulli, Lewes; Maria Deckmann, Milton; Matthew Durkin, Ocean City; Henry Elangwe, Fruitland; Thomas Fager, Bishopville; Jared Gabriel, Millsboro; Grace Gardner, Salisbury; Jay Gosnear, Onancock; Kaitlyn Hamer, Rehoboth Beach; Liam Hammond, Berlin; Molly McCormick, Bishopville; Jacob Meakin, Salisbury; Hailey Merritt, Seaford; Hannah Merritt, Seaford; Colin Miller, Berlin; Dakin Moore, Rehoboth Beach; Maya Natesan, Salisbury; Cooper Richins, Berlin; Chloe Ruddo, Berlin; Grace Schwartz, Eden; Andrew Stickler, Lewes; Will Todd, Salisbury; Remy Trader, Ocean City; Owen Tunis, Berlin; Jack Walinskas, Ocean Pines; Kendall Whaley, Berlin

• Grade 10: Nic Abboud, Lewes; Anchita Batra, Rehoboth Beach; Sydney Boright, Lewes; Josh Bredbenner, Seaford; Sam Cantello, Berlin; Connor Cebula, Berlin; Eliza Chaufournier, Millsboro; Annemarie Cherry, Berlin; Stevie Eppard-Annis, Berlin; Reese Gittelman, Salisbury; Deborah Marini, Lewes; Brenner Maull, Salisbury; Brendan Miller, Berlin; Reid Odachowski, Ocean City; Olivia Parker, Ocean City; Caroline Pasquariello, Ocean Pines; Sarah Savage, Bishopville; Maddie Simons, Ocean City; Samantha Wolpin, Bishopville; Maya ZiaShakeri, Berlin

• Grade 11: Alex Abbott, Berlin; Niko Alexander, Ocean Pines; Sambina Anthony, Seaford; Livy Bescak, Ocean Pines; Maddie Bescak, Ocean Pines; Max Bisaha, Bishopville; Luke Buas, Ocean City; Reid Carey, Dagsboro; Spencer Copeland, Lewes; Margaret Coutu, Willards; Isabel Dashiell, Ocean City; Ross Deckmann, Milton; Chandler Dennis, Millsboro; Jamie Gittelman, Salisbury; Lauren Gosnear, Onancock; Carter Hill, Rehoboth Beach; Melissa Laws, Berlin; Seth Lewis, Onancock; Leigh Lingo, Rehoboth Beach; Regan Lingo, Rehoboth Beach; Amy Lizas, Berlin; Trent Marshall, Rehoboth Beach; Stormy McGuiness, Rehoboth Beach; Davis Mears, Berlin; Nick Moondra, Salisbury; Owen Nally, Ocean View; Eva Parks, Onancock; Patrick Petrera, Salisbury; Clare Riley, Ocean City; Ava Schwartz, Eden; Karlie Southcomb, Ocean City; Julie Talbert, Allen; Davis Taylor, Lewes; Paul Townsend, Frankford; Josh Willey, Milton; Zachary Wilson, Berlin; Sara Mapp Young, Onancock; Lily Zechiel, Lewes; Aria ZiaShakeri, Berlin

• Grade 12: Nate Abercrombie, Salisbury; Hannah Arrington, Salisbury; Rachel Berry, Bishopville; Bridget Brown, Selbyville; Isabel Carulli, Lewes; Alex Choy, Rehoboth Beach; Jason Cook, Seaford; Ross Dickerson, Berlin; Madison Doody, Berlin; Biola Eniola, Salisbury; Devin Hammond, Berlin; Taylor Hawkins, Bishopville; Laura Issel, Lewes; Jordan Kilgore, Bishopville; Sarah Koon, Lewes; John Meakin, Salisbury; Victoria Middleton, Bethany Beach; Ryan Murphy, Ocean View; Hanna Nechay, Hebron; Zachary Oltman, Frankford; Charlie Pritchard, Snow Hill; Wyatt Richins, Berlin; Regan Shanahan, Berlin; Erika Smith, Seaford; Cassie Stevens, Lewes; Grace Tunis, Berlin; Staton Whaley, Berlin; Taylor Zarif, Berlin.

Students on the Honorable Mention List for Term 3 included:

• Grade 6: Hannah Brasure, Frankford; Josh Conway, Rehoboth Beach; Anita Hearne, Salisbury; Carter McCabe, Millville; Ava Nally, Ocean View; Brooke Phillips, Ocean City; Jarett Sofronski, Salisbury; Amith Tatineni, Milton; Morgan White, Lewes

• Grade 7: John Arrington, Salisbury; Hunter Gentry, Selbyville; Nathan Oltman, Frankford; Sydney Stebenne, Bethany Beach

• Grade 8: Gavin Carmody, Ocean City; Jenna Elrick, Salisbury; Jacob Lewis, Selbyville; Kyra Marshall, Rehoboth Beach; Saylar McGuiness, Rehoboth Beach; Sami Repass, Lewes; Madeline Shanahan, Ocean City; Audrey Stearns, Berlin

• Grade 9: Thomas Adkins, Selbyville; Hailee Arrington, Salisbury; Sam Cantor, Ocean City; Locke Crowe, Berlin; Meghan Cummings, Ocean City; Michael Curtis, Bethany Beach; Ally Elerding, Bishopville; Caleb Foxwell, Ocean View; Julia Godwin, Frankford; Graham Hammond, Selbyville; Cameron Hill, Rehoboth Beach; Aiden Mullins, Dagsboro; Anthony Reilly, Selbyville; Gavin Zimmer, Bishopville

• Grade 10: Sophia Bandorick, Ocean City; Tucker Brown, Rehoboth Beach; Luke Crowe, Berlin; Emilee Dorey, Millville; Jack Fager, Bishopville; Ronnie Ferrell, Selbyville; Marissa Grosso, Berlin; Cameron Langeler, Salisbury; Mia Meacci, Rehoboth Beach; Leigh Menendez, Georgetown; Grace Nichols, Berlin; Colby Noble, Berlin; Isabella Osias, Bethany Beach; Jayan Poduval, Berlin; Camryn Sofronski, Salisbury

• Grade 11: Grant Brown, Selbyville; Macayla Costleigh, Dewey Beach; Riley Dickerson, Berlin; Emily Dignan, Bethany Beach; Lauren Meoli, Rehoboth Beach; Flynn Mullins, Dagsboro; Rayne Parker, Ocean City; Thomas Polk, Bethany Beach; Caroline Savage, Bishopville; Tate Shockley, Ocean City; Alexandra Van Orden, Berlin

• Grade 12: Allie Barrish, Milton; Tori Barros, Rehoboth Beach; Nick Curtis, Bethany Beach; Julia D’Antonio, Hebron; Lauren Dykes, Berlin; Hayley Larsen, Ocean City; Baylan McGuiness, Rehoboth Beach; Noah McVicker, Selbyville; Kathryn O’Malley, Berlin; Jordan Osias, Bethany Beach; Zöe Weistling, Berlin

Founded in 1970, WPS is an independent pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school, located in Berlin, Md. More than 500 students attend from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. For more information about WPS, visit www.worcesterprep.org or call (410) 641-3575.

Sussex Academy recently announced the names of students who named to the school’s Honor Roll for the third marking period of the 2015-2016 school year. They include:

• Sixth-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Michael Daniello, Emily Simon.

• Sixth-grade B Honor Roll — Tori Adams, Isabel Akey, Grant Allen, Skyler Bunting, Peyton Campbell, Caleb Collins, Sarah Conti, Lily Cutchin, Mikayla Dayton, Jordan Elmer, Naisha Flechier, David Hawtof, Shelby Hickman, Nicholas Holmon, Tyler Hudson, Puja Jani, Evan Jarrell, Nikki Loomis, Simone Lunn, Brandon Maccubbin, Wesley McLaughlin, Emily Musgrove, Samantha Oliver, Gabriella Orsini, Donald Pasmore, Arpan Patel, Molly Pettyjohn, Logan Podrasky, Zoe Probert, Owen Pusey, Brennan Shirey, Madison Short, Paige Tidwell, Sadie Tunnell, Gianna Voges, Camila Yunis

• Seventh-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Emily Hutt, Emily Moody, Samantha Sordi

• Seventh-grade B Honor Roll — Madison Allen, Tucker Anthony, Ensar Arslan, Emma Baynum, Julia Buoni, Henry Childers, Amanda Coates, Reese D’entremont, Sadie Davis, Nyrlande Flechier, Brooke Hudson, Emma Kuska, Else Leebel, Brighid Loftus, Gabrielle McCormick, Rachael Megonigal, Charles Mitchell, Marguerite Mitchell, Sydney Mundok, Savannah Nagy, Sarah Nutter, Brynn Parker, Francis Patterson, Benjamin Sala, Trent Sapna, William Stanton, Wade Stout, Zachariah Stutzman, Emily Trout, Gannon Webb, Dermot Williamson, Liliana Yenovkian

• Eighth-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Kimberly Aiken, William Blake Hundley, Max Kogler, Kathrine Marini, Patrick Short

• Eighth-grade B Honor Roll — Sydney Adamcik, Caitlin Anderson, Emily Barrish, Zoe Carroll, Caroline Carter, Bridget Cosgrove, Evelyn Criswell, Sarah Cullen, Sophie Czerwinski, Allison Dayton, Sky Dunmyer, Sydney Elliott, Hanna Gorski, Kaylin Hatfield, Marissa Hawtof, Helena Helou, Julia Helou, Reilly Hutchison, Erin Kay, Isabella Kwan, Turner Lee, Jayden Lesko, Abigail Lindsay, Milan Patel, Sarah Perdue, Miranda Perez-Rivera, Christopher Redefer, Jr., Caden Schell, Kale Showers, Jacob Slabonik, Adrianne Smith, Brianne Smith, Julia Swingle, Grant Thomas, Jessica Truitt, Lily Walton, Chloe Whittaker, Kira Wingate, Katherine Wolfe

• Ninth-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Ryan Bishop, Kyra Cutsail, Ronald Faust, Cailey Murphy, Rishika Patel, Madison Rice, Grace Scott, Kathryn Van Pelt

• Ninth-grade B Honor Roll — Isabel Abboud, Alexa Allen, Miguel Alvarez, Jake Anthony, Phoebe Baker, Jenna Beers, Paige Butler, Meredith Carey, Brock Diaz, Kathryn Donati, Clara Elliott, Carly Fajardo, Connor Hall, Kylie Hutt, Lyndsey Koyanagi, Claire Loftus, Christopher Marshall, Ross Moshier, Dylan Murphy, Aliyah Patel, Searra Pollitt, Angie Rivera-Pavon, Taylor Rix, Delaney Smith, Margaret Smith, Panayiotis Vasilikos, Zachary Zalewski

• 10th-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Reagan Allen, Kierstin Blatzheim, Padraig Loftus, Parker Shawver, Claire Sullivan, Rachael Weidman

• 10th-grade B Honor Roll — Cali Ambruso, Nicholas Barrish, Jared Browne, Claudia Carey, Benjamin Davis, Finn Davis, William Davis, Antonia DeBastiani, Janie Elder, Tessa Elling, Emily Freid, Edalis Gonzalez Soto, Anthony Harrison, Kellie Heinlein, Bailey Hesson, Adam Krim, Nikola Melnsvarks, James Riddle, Yiorgos Rigakos, Cooper Shawver, Courtney Sneller, Jason Xiong, McKinsey Zepp

• 11th-grade Distinguished (A) Honor Roll — Sara Bixler, David Cohen Davis

• 11th-grade B Honor Roll — William Calloway, Dallas DiGuglielmo, Colden Fees, Carter Harman, Sarah Hawtof, Julia Martiner, Mia Moshier, Kiara Rolon-Manso, Kleiry Ruano Caal, Lauren Sneller, Cassidy White

Buoyed by a stronger-than-forecasted first quarter, the Sussex County Association of Realtors (SCAOR) announced this week a revised outlook for 2016 that would continue what they described as a years-long period of modest and steady growth in southern Delaware’s real estate markets.

A total of 864 homes were sold in Sussex County between Jan.1 and March 31, a number they said has industry professionals hopeful and confident of another strong year at the local level.

“To be closing an average of nearly 10 properties a day during the winter months is indeed impressive and has us all anticipating another positive year here in Sussex County,” said Frank Serio, 2016 president of SCAOR. “Of course, the most active months of the year are still ahead of us, and we’re excited to see how the market will fare during the spring and summer periods. We’re certainly expecting very good things during this year’s high season.”

Countywide, the average sales price for a three-bedroom residential home continues to hover around the $250,000 mark, as it has for some time. Homes with four bedrooms or more are selling for an average of just under $500,000 in Sussex County, with the majority of those sales occurring in the coastal areas.

First-quarter data also indicates that homes are selling faster in Sussex County thus far in 2016, with one in every four homes remaining on the market for 30 days or less and 38 percent of homes going under contract in less than two months.

“All in all, we remain optimistic that 2016 as a whole is going to be very good for real estate here in southern Delaware,” said Serio. “Interest in the area has remained strong, and we expect it to be even stronger now that spring has arrived and more people are going to be visiting our area, whether to vacation or to visit with loved-ones.

“Sussex County is the fastest growing county in Delaware in terms of home sales, and we expect that trend will continue for the rest of this year and for many years to come.”

In addition to strong single-family home sales, Serio said all other segments are also trending in a positive way, including lots and land, townhomes and condominiums, farms and commercial properties.

The data released by SCAOR is compiled from the Association’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which tracks all data regarding real estate transactions in Sussex County.

To read more about issues related to Sussex County’s real estate industry, visit SCAOR’s website at www.scaor.com.

In a first-ever initiative, the Inland Bays Foundation (IBF) has sent a petition to Shawn Garvin, regional administrator of the EPA, Region III, in Philadelphia. IBF is requesting that EPA designate and regulate small municipal separate stormwater systems (MS4’s) discharging into the Inland Bays Watershed.

IBF representatives said that, as documented by the extensive sampling done through the University of Delaware’s Citizen Monitoring Program, and other scientific efforts, such discharges are responsible for high levels of pollution in the Inland Bays.

MS4 systems are set up to monitor (and target for remediation) high levels of pollution in the waterways, with measurements known as “Total Maximum Daily Loads” (TMDLs). The measurements monitor the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria and other toxins.

Nancy Cabrera-Santos, IBF president, said, “I am asking for concrete action to clean up the pollution in our inland bays. The time has come to develop a solid plan with specific TMDLs for all the waterways polluting the bays. Our petition cites the high levels of enterococcus bacteria found in the Anchorage Canal in South Bethany (up to 2,500 times acceptable levels as set by DNREC) as one troubled example in our watershed.”

MS4 designations have been made throughout the state of Delaware. Examples are cities such as Seaford and Laurel that fall within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

“Sadly, this is not the case in our own Inland Bays Watershed, where a patchwork quilt of ‘voluntary’ efforts are more the norm,” Cabrera-Santos said.

Statewide, up to 90 percent of the waterways are considered impaired for swimming or fishing, which she called “a disgrace that must be addressed for the benefit of our future and that of our children.”

To read the petition in its entirety, go to www.inlandbaysfoundation.org.

Delaware cannabis advocates will march in solidarity with groups in more than 200 cities, representing 40 countries worldwide on Saturday, May 7, from 2 to 5 p.m., to protest cannabis prohibition in an event hosted by the Cannabis Bureau of Delaware.

The march will begin at Surfside Park in Rehoboth Beach (Surfside Place and North Boardwalk). The route includes the Boardwalk, Delaware Avenue, S. 1st Street and Rehoboth Avenue, and will end with a rally at the Bandstand.

“For the third year in a row, Delaware will be represented in a unified global effort to end the costly, failed policy of cannabis prohibition,” organizers said.

The Global Cannabis March — also known as Global Marijuana March or Million Marijuana March — originated in New York City in the 1970s and was celebrated globally for the first time in 1999. Since then, more than 827 cities in more than 70 countries have participated in the event, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May.

The Delaware event returns to Rehoboth Beach this year and is focused around cannabis awareness, education and political action, organizers said. The rally following the march will take place at the Bandstand, featuring speeches from local professionals and activists, and educational games, as well as a call-to-action table prompting participants to contact their local officials. There will also be research and information available.

“Cannabis prohibition has had no effect on reducing the supply, demand or use of cannabis,” organizers said. “Similar to alcohol prohibition, it has helped create crime and violence with a dangerous and highly profitable illicit market, while diverting police manpower and resources away from real public safety to a victim-less issue.

“Additionally, this miserably failed approach only serves to waste limited revenue, make criminals out of ordinary citizens, impede the important police community relations needed to solve serious crimes, contribute to mass incarceration and prison overcrowding, and perpetuate the societal problems Delaware is currently facing.

Repeal of such policies is happening around the country. In Washington, D.C., residents are permitted to legally cultivate six cannabis plants, possess 2 ounces and gift up to one ounce to other adults, regardless of their residency.

Four states have now taxed and regulated cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol for adults 21 and older. Those states have seen an immediate savings on enforcement and criminal justice expenditures, according to the while generating economic development, significant revenue, and an abundance of employment opportunities, according to the Cannabis Bureau of Delaware.

With several other states slated to follow suit this year, the advocates said, “Don’t let the First State be the last to make this much needed change.”

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is seeking volunteer bat spotters to help in locating and counting the state’s bat colonies for the annual Delaware Bat Count. A training session for volunteers will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Aquatic Resources Education Center, 4876 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna.

Weather-permitting, the session will be followed by a visit to a bat maternity colony site for a count demonstration from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Pre-registration for the training is requested and can be done by contacting Alex Heinemann at (302) 735-8676 or alexandra.heinemann@state.de.us.

The Delaware Bat Count is a statewide study documenting population trends and bats that breed in the state. The bat program is always looking for reports of new bat colonies and for volunteers interested in being part of the research program. Once volunteers adopt a site, they are asked to count the bats at least twice during the summer.

Delaware is home to nine species of bats, several of which have begun their annual move from winter hibernation sites to summer maternity colonies. Female bats return to their colonies pregnant and then congregate to give birth and raise their pups. In Delaware, the colonies often take up residence in barns, garages, attics, bat boxes and homes.

Bats feed at night on insects, including many pest species, such as mosquitoes. Some eat moths and beetles that damage crops. A study published in Science magazine suggests that bats could be one of the most economically-valuable groups of wildlife to North American farmers, saving them at least $3.7 billion annually by reducing the amount of pesticides needed.

“They’re providing us with a valuable and free service, so it’s to our benefit to have them around,” said Wildlife Biologist Holly Niederriter of the Division of Fish & Wildlife.

“Even though bats play an important role in our ecosystem, they are often unwanted visitors to homes and outbuildings. A bat exclusion from the building or structure may be warranted in such situations.

“It is crucial that bat exclusions be completed before May 15 — when mother bats typically start giving birth — to prevent trapping flightless young inside a building and permanently separating the mothers from their pups, which cannot survive on their own.”

For a list of permitted wildlife control operators who can conduct bat exclusions, visit https://apps.dnrec.state.de.us/NuisanceWildlife/Search.aspx. To review the “Best Management Practices” for excluding bats, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/bats/ and check out the “Bats in Buildings” section.

To report a bat colony, or for more information on becoming a bat spotter or on proper bat exclusions, contact Alex Heinemann or Holly Niederriter at (302) 735-8651, or email alexandra.heinemann@state.de.us or holly.niederriter@state.de.us.

Small-to-medium sized businesses face a challenge: how to generate more revenue while still keeping costs as low as possible. But, according to Postmaster Mike Behringer of the Ocean View post office, with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) from the Postal Service, small businesses can send direct mail advertising pieces to specific neighborhoods without the costs of renting mailing lists or printing specific addresses on each mail piece.

Local area businesses can learn more about Every Door Direct Mail and how to save on mailing costs, at a special free Grow Your Business Day, to be held on Tuesday, May 3, at the post office 35764 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean View, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to information on services from the post office and a local printer on hand to assist with designing mail pieces, Hocker’s BBQ truck will be serving in the parking lot and the Millville Volunteer Fire Company will have their antique fire truck and ambulance on display.

Behringer said Every Door Direct Mail with Simplified Address Format allows mailers to create saturation mail without the need to apply specific names and addresses to mail pieces. (Saturation mail is mail that is delivered to every address within a geographic area.)

Examples of Simplified Addressing are: “Postal Customer,” “Residential Customer” or “P.O. Boxholder,” in lieu of a customer name and street address. Use of Simplified Addressing gives businesses the opportunity to use the mail in a simple, but effective, way to promote their business, he said.

The Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company will host EMS Day, “Called to Care,” on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the fire house at 215 Hollywood Street in Bethany Beach.

The free community-wide educational, family event is open to the public, with food provided by Bethany Blues.

The event will also include bicycle giveaways; bike and highway safety instruction; a 911 simulator; rescue helicopter landings and demonstrations; and food, balloons and special EMS T-shirts for all.

For more information, call the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company at (302) 539-7700 or visit www.bethanybeachfire.com.

Realtors at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Bethany Beach are doing their part to support those who need a helping hand. From now until May 8, Coldwell Banker will be collecting healthy nonperishable food items.

“This is an annual food drive that the Mid-Atlantic region of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage does. We call it our ‘healthy food week,’” said Stephanie Talbott, branch vice president of the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Bethany Beach office. “Each year, our company designates a week for all of our branches within the Mid-Atlantic region to conduct food drives to help the needy in their specific region. We do focus on keeping the donations of food local to the areas where the offices are located.”

The items collected will be donated to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Route 17 and to the Community Food Bank in Selbyville.

Food items requested include canned fruits and vegetables, canned chicken and tuna, bottled water and cereal.

Staff from the Bethany office will be collecting food items at Hocker’s Super Center and at Giant on Saturday, April 30, and Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We also designate each office as a drop-box point for folks who can’t physically be at a location where we are collecting donations. We welcome and encourage drop-offs of nonperishable healthy food items to our office,” added Talbott.

Last year, the branch collected 3,045 pounds of food, which was donated to Frankford’s Helping Hands Pantry and Selbyville’s Salem Food Pantry.

“Our Bethany office came in sixth place out of the 31 offices in the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Talbott of donations last year. “I’m very proud of that. I hope our community will step up to the plate and allow us to do that, be able to be a part of that again, and donate as much as we possibly can.”

Talbott said more than 48 million Americans live in food-insecure households, and 30 to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. is wasted.

“We want people to think about those who are in need when they’re shopping and, really, seriously consider helping us contribute to keeping families whole,” she said. “It’s one in five children that are at risk of hunger. That just tugs on my heartstrings. Being a mom and grandmom myself, hearing about children that go hungry — that really tugs on my heartstrings.”

The annual food drive is part of the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage CARES foundation, which has raised more than $1 million for more than 100 nonprofit organizations.

“I am just very proud to be a part of a company that has a service organization,” said Talbott. “It really is an amazing part of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage that gives us the opportunity to give back to the community.”

Talbott said that many people, whether others know it or not, are in need of help.

“They call it ‘food insecurity.’ It can include your neighbors, or your coworkers or your friends, and you may not even know it. We want to do everything we can to help our local food banks, the two we’re donating to this year… to help people be able to have a meal on the table when they need it.”

Through their food drive, Coldwell Banker hopes to help its communities and make life a little bit better for those in need.

“We all know that in this day and time there are many families that have been affected by our economy and are unable to provide their families with healthy nutrition and to provide their children with the food that is needed for them to maintain a healthy state,” Talbott said. “We want to participate in this to be able to provide as much as we possibly can, and to encourage the community to help us do so.”

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is located at 39682 Sunrise Court in Bethany Beach. For more information, call (302) 539-1777.

To help raise funds for its Learning Assistance Program, Lighthouse Christian School will be holding its annual spring breakfast fundraiser this weekend.

“The Learning Assistance Program is for families that have students attending our school right now, and it helps supplement them to stay in school,” said Pat Viguie, event and curriculum planner at Lighthouse Christian. “The money is also allocated to families that also want to try to enroll in our school. It’s for families who have a commitment to Christian education but need the financial assistance to help.”

The breakfast will be held on Sunday, May 1, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Dagsboro Boys & Girls Club. The menu includes pancakes, French toast, sausage, orange juice, coffee and hot tea. Adults may eat for $5, while children ages 2 to 12 may eat for $3.

Tickets are on sale at the Lighthouse Christian School office and at the door the day of the breakfast. For those who cannot stay for breakfast, take-out meals are available.

“The fun thing about it is the students serve, as well as the parents that partake in the program. The families that are being aided by this program help out, as well as the children of our school serve that day. It’s really cool. It’s really nice to see that,” she said.

Viguie added that, as in previous years, a generous donor will be matching the monies raised at the breakfast.

“That’s a really, really big blessing,” she said, adding that, in total, they were able to raise almost $9,000. To-date, Viguie said, approximately 20 families have been impacted through the Learning Assistance Program.

Viguie created the fundraiser three years ago along with Sherri Walker, who co-owns the Ocean View Family Restaurant with her husband, John.

“Sherri and I were the ones who started assisting with this program years ago. At first, we were selling buckeyes — candies. We were boxing candies and selling them,” she recalled. “Then we decided to do the breakfast. They donate the food every year. They have been so kind.”

Viguie said that the Walkers’ grandchildren have all attended Lighthouse Christian, and the family goes above and beyond when it comes to helping the school.

“It’s one of our most favorite events,” she added. “Sherri is such a blessing to work with. And I consider it a real treat to be able to do this with her, and that it was placed on her heart to do this for the students there. It was placed on my heart, so it’s something that we mutually felt.”

Viguie said she hopes the community will stop by on Sunday to dine and support Lighthouse Christian School and its students.

“I would think the hope would be that we could continue to do this, continue to have people support us in Christian education, and come to the breakfast. We’re always thankful to the person who match our funds and those who serve that day,” she said. “I hope that people would keep that excitement and zeal for this wonderful, wonderful program.”

The Dagsboro Boys & Girls Club is located at 28154 Lighthouse Crossing on Route 113 in Dagsboro.

This weekend, a number of area police departments will be taking part in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back initiative, conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration.

On Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., community members are being encouraged to visit participating sites, including the Ocean View, Dagsboro and Selbyville police departments, to get rid of unwanted medications that are in their homes.

The initiative addresses public safety and public health issues stemming from unused medications staying in homes — risking misuse, abuse or even water-table contamination if they’re improperly disposed of.

When the DEA began its take-back initiative, the Ocean View Police Department decided they would take it a step further, allowing community members to dispose of their unused and unwanted medications throughout the year.

“When the DEA started a program of a prescription drug take-back day, of course we wanted to jump on board and be a collection site for them,” explained OVPD Cpt. Heath Hall. “Basically, Chief [Ken McLaughlin] and I were talking, and we came to the conclusion: why can’t we do this year-round, and we’ll just store the prescriptions here until they schedule another take-back day?

“Instead of one day, we wanted to offer the service to the community year-round. As long as the lobby doors are open, they can come and drop off to us.”

Initially, the department used a decommissioned mailbox for about a year to collect medications in its lobby. Then, in early January of 2015, the department was contacted by the CVS Medication Disposal for Safer Communities program.

“They reached out to us… wanted us to be aware of their program,” said Hall.

According to CVS Heath, the Ocean View Police Department is now one of more than 500 drug collection units at law enforcement partners across the U.S., resulting in the safe disposal of more than 35 metric tons of unwanted medications.

“Our volunteers tell me there’s always a couple people who stop in daily and deposit drugs into this box,” remarked Hall.

In fact, the department’s drop-box has become so popular that it must be unloaded every other month.

“We’re always one of the top collectors in this area. That’s probably attributed to this being a high retirement area,” Hall said, noting that the department will collect more than 100 pounds of prescription medication between take-back days.

The boxes, which can look as if they’re filled with Skittles, contain everything from vitamins to aspirin, cold medicine to OxyContin and Percocet.

“You got the most basic thing to the most expensive and potent stuff that can come across the counter,” said Hall.

“It’s a great community service. It’s not just for Ocean View. It’s for anyone who wants to come in and drop something off. It’s no-questions-asked. They can just come in and drop it off and go. We don’t ask where they live or anything like that.

“If we didn’t do this, if departments didn’t do things like this, it’s just that much more prescription medications that’re in people’s medicine cabinets that could be stolen or possibly flushed down the toilet and contaminating our water system. And we want to avoid both of those things.”

Hall said that, through the DEA take-back initiatives and the department’s participation with the CVS Medication Disposal for Safer Communities program, all drugs relinquished to the department are disposed of properly.

“You have any medications that are expired or that you don’t want lying around, we invite everyone to come and drop off here, and we’ll take it from there.”

The Ocean View Police Department is located at 201 Central Avenue in Ocean View. The Dagsboro Police Department is located at 22134 Main Street in Dagsboro. The Selbyville Police Department is located at 68 W. Church Street in Selbyville. For more information about the National Drug Take-Back initiative, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback.

A very large check was presented to Town of Fenwick Island on April 22.

Representatives of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC) came to present a $21,293 matching grant for Fenwick’s new playground equipment, sponsored by the state Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Trails Program.

The playground was just completed in April.

“Fenwick Island Community Park is my poster child for parks,” said Bob Ehemann, grants coordinator. “When somebody tells me there’s not enough space, it’s not possible, I tell them to go down to Fenwick Island, which has packed many amenities into a ‘postage-stamp’ sized area.”

In 15 years, the Town has benefitted from hundreds of thousands of dollars, said Ehemann. He commended Town Manager Merritt Burke for his dedication to the application.

DNREC Secretary David Small reiterated the agency’s committeement to being a resource for towns, and said he wished everyone a “Happy Earth Day.”

Talking (not typing) politics

Mayor Gene Langan clarified his personal policy on communications, favoring in-person debate over Internet arguments.

“I do not respond to letters to the editor,” he stated. “Secondly, I will not and do not respond to emails about personnel, including staff here, council or committee members. If an email doesn’t need a response,” he said, he will file it into a pros/cons folder on the debated topic.

“If you want to talk to me, call me. I’ll meet you,” said Langan, who also rejects anonymous letters, such as those from the Fenwick Forum website editor. “If you have questions of me, you can ask me during the public participation.”

“Whenever you read anything on the Internet, consider the source, why they wrote it and whether they’re qualified to write it,” said Councilwoman Diane Tingle. “Anything that doesn’t have a name [attached], I would never respond to.”

“My personal philosophy is it’s much better to meet in person, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” Langan concluded.

In other Fenwick Island news:

• The farmers’ market will have a new home this summer, since the vacant property it has inhabited is expected to be sold. As a result, the market will move to the Warren’s Station restaurant parking lot on Coastal Highway on Mondays and Fridays, June 17 to Sept. 5, from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Lifeguards are coming soon to a beach near you. The Fenwick Island Beach Patrol will be on duty May 28-30 and June 3-5, and then full-time from June 10 to Labor Day. Lifeguards will again provide access to the beach for patrons using the beach wheelchair, ATV and side-by-side vehicle.

Junior lifeguard program registration continues, with the first session June 28-30.

• The Fenwick Island Police Department’s Lt. John Devlin and Sgt. Brian Parsons have completed an FBI executive development course. The three-year program prepares them to move up the ranks in leading law enforcement. They were lucky to have a Delaware-based course, Town officials noted, as some officers have to travel the country to catch all the week-long seminars.

• As a follow-up to the ordinance on increased building height with freeboard that was recently enacted, the Charter & Ordinance Committee will begin discussing the possibility of elevating properties, not just houses. Councilman Bill Weistling said the town is full of good and bad examples of raising a property without stormwater runoff affecting neighboring properties.

• Regarding an earlier dispute between property owners about changes to the town code that appeared to be pro-development, Weistling and Building Official Patricia Schuchman reviewed several recent changes. For example, in a subdivided commercial building, the size of a sign was increased recently from 1 to 1.5 square feet per linear foot of each shop front. One apartment is permitted per 6,500 square feet on a commercial lot. Many of the changes were requested by the Business Development Committee, they noted.

• Why has Fenwick Island paid double the budgeted amount for legal services this year? asked resident Lynn Andrews.

This fiscal year, Fenwick has paid an additional $16,303 beyond of its original $15,000 budget. That’s 109 percent higher than budgeted, with four more months to go in the fiscal year. That’s the result of unexpected legal threats, Langan said. This winter, the council feared a lawsuit after voting to reduce the hotel/motel size restrictions.

“That’s one of the problems with people opposing things,” Langan said. Although a lawsuit didn’t materialize, legal help was needed to protect the Town, Langan said.

(Councilwoman Julie Lee took exception with his phrasing. Langan clarified that he meant that’s the problem with people threatening to oppose the Town in court.)

But the hotel situation wasn’t the majority of the expenses, Lee said. Weistling added that every ordinance change, as well as any land acquisition, requires legal perspective.

The budget is a guideline, not the law and it’s hard to foresee the entire year during budget time, Weistling said.

Additionally, the attorney, who doesn’t regularly attend council meetings, is paid more than $150 per hour from the time she leaves her desk, said Councilman Gardner Bunting. And that’s for one of the closest municipal attorneys in the area.

• The Board of Election was appointed for 2016: Inspector Audrey Serio, and judges Faye Horner and Carl McWilliams. The Town Council election is scheduled for Aug. 6.

• The first Earth Day cleanup was a success, with 25 participants collecting trash in the hot sun. But in their civic spirit, they collected 30 bags of garbage from Fenwick streets.

• The Environmental Committee is composing a letter to properties affected by pine beetles, encouraging them to remove sick trees before neighboring trees are infested.

Also, Fenwick has retained its Tree City status for another year.

• Community events are planned for Columbus Day weekend. The Business Development Committee is considering pumpkin carving on the beach, a noncompetitive beach walk/run and other events.

• The festival shouldn’t interfere with a beach wedding the town council approved for that weekend. The vote was necessary because it’s a special-event permit for more than 75 people. About 100 are expected.

• Grad student Katy Maglio completed her GIS study for a class project at Salisbury University and presented it to the Town. She studied the Town’s possible uses for GIS, making recommendations for how the Town could benefit from the mapping software.

• The council approved budget amendments, adding another $5,000 to the Comprehensive Plan consultant fee and $3,800 for a new shuffleboard mat (to ease the burden of repainting the court).

• A voter information “rack card” was approved. It’s intended to explain town election laws without sending voters to a website.

The next regular town council meeting is May 27 at 3:30 p.m. The June meeting was rescheduled for June 17.

The Millville Town Council discussed a little of everything during two April meetings, with topics ranging from food trucks to cell phone towers.

Food trucks and other vendors don’t currently have a permitting system in town. On April 26, the council considered a proposal to regulate them a bit more.

Food trucks are flat-out forbidden from just parking in town during lunchtime.

Under the proposed ordinance, if a business wanted to host a customer appreciation day, for example, individual vendors would have to apply for a $25 peddler’s license at Town Hall for every event they do.

However, if a nonprofit church or fire company wanted to have a festival with food trucks and craft vendors, for example, that would be permitted for no extra charge.

“Food vendor trucks is an up-and-coming [thing] these days,” said Town Manager Debbie Botchie. “These individuals would have to come into the Town and purchase an event license. We find it very unfair that food trucks can come into a municipality … and sell their wares. They don’t pay” any permit or tax or income tax to the Town, she said.

Discussion of the issue will continue at the May council meeting. The proposed ordinance is just aimed at special events. Language will be added to exclude from the regulations yard sales and non-profits, such as Girl Scouts selling cookies at a grocery store.

Signage regs updated, height restrictions don’t get far

While cleaning up the Town’s signage regulations on April 12, the council considered some last-minute changes to the height limit that didn’t go far.

“This ordinance doesn’t touch the height restrictions,” said Town Solicitor Seth Thompson.

But new Councilman Steve Small suggested council change height restrictions from 20 feet to 16 feet in the C2-Town Commercial District.

“I’m trying to shrink the signs in Millville,” Small said.

Thompson recommended council consider that as a separate ordinance. Firstly, he said, the math needs to be reworked because businesses are allowed a certain square footage. Reducing the height would just make the signs wider, he said.

Although a height limit vote would be legally permitted under the public notice for the signage ordinance, Thompson warned that the public perception might be that Millville tried to pull a bait-and-switch. It might seem fairer to tackle that topic separately, so people have time to prepare for discussion, he warned.

Botchie agreed that that many businesses would want to comment. She suggested sending the matter to the Committee for Charter & Ordinance Review.

Small said he expected his suggestion to be voted down, and he withdrew the motion rather than discuss it further. In return, he voted against the entire ordinance.

“I wanted very much to support this bill,” but it does too little in proactively protecting the town’s small-town character, Small said.

“I will vote against this measure not because I oppose its thrust, but because I do not think it goes far enough,” Small said. “I don’t think we need a 20-foot sign in this town. I’m willing to listen to arguments, but I don’t think it’s required. … I think we’re missing an opportunity to go forward.”

With Councilwoman Susan Brewer absent, the final vote was 3-1-1.

The council approved other updates to the sign regulations in Ordinance 16-06, including stronger definitions for different kinds of signs, including bulletin boards, changeable signs, electronic variable message boards and political signs.

Electronic variable message boards are still prohibited everywhere, except for municipal, fire and police buildings, and where they were pre-existing before Millville’s code on the signage existed.

In the residential district, the maximum size of future outdoor bulletin boards (indirectly illuminated) will decrease from 10 square feet to 9 square feet at any church, school, hospital, municipal building or similar nonprofit. Relating to a church or school, indirectly illuminated changeable signs had their maximum size reduced from 48 square feet to 32 square feet.

In other Millville Town Council news:

• The Town wants to address wireless communications towers in Ordinance 16-05.

“The FCC says you can’t ban wireless communications facilities in your town, but you can regulate them,” Thompson said on April 26. “This lays out a more specific framework.”

The draft can be read at Town Hall during business hours. A public hearing will be scheduled for June.

• Millville got a giant check from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC) on April 12. The Town won a $200,000 matching grant from DNREC’s Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Trails Program, which helped pay the $800,000 cost for 4.91 acres of future parkland at 32517 Dukes Drive.

Grants Coordinator Bob Ehemann complimented the thoroughness and responsiveness of executive assistant Matt Amerling’s grant application and Botchie’s enthusiasm and advocacy for the town overall.

“Parks are places where memories are made,” whether kids are playing, learning to ride a bike or finding community service opportunities, Ehemann said.

• The council on April 12 unanimously approved a preliminary site plan submitted by A Shade Above for 35722 Atlantic Avenue, to tear down the vacant residential unit and build a new retail establishment on Route 26 between Artisan Bank and First Shore Federal Bank.

This is the business’s first storefront, as they currently provide window design services only at customers’ homes. The Board of Adjustment (BOA) had already approved several variances, easing setback and buffer requirements on the quarter-acre lot.

• Patricia Moulder is the Town’s new volunteer coordinator.

The town council will meet again on Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m.

Indian River and Sussex Central high schools will implement a new finance and accounting curriculum for the 2016-2017 school year, district officials announced this week.

Beginning in September, both high schools will be offering a three-year program of study from the National Academy of Finance (NAF). Interested students who will be entering the ninth or 10th grade in 2016-2017 are being sought for the program.

“NAF provides a rigorous, industry-validated and career-themed curriculum that incorporates current industry standards and practices, literacy strategies and STEM integration,” they said. “The curriculum is created in partnership with industry professionals and is designed around projects that help students acquire valuable workplace skills. It further empowers teachers to expand the boundaries of the classroom in non-traditional ways that ensure lessons have real-world application to growing industries.”

The three-year Academy of Finance pathway covers a variety of topics related to business, accounting and financial literacy, including:

• Year 1: Fundamentals of Finance. A prerequisite to other Academy of Finance pathway courses, this course explores the foundation of financial literacy, the function of finance in society and the role of a financial planner. It focuses on income and wealth, financial institutions and the role of finance in organizations.

Students research the impact of technology on the financial services field, explore the role of a financial planner and examine the importance of sound financial planning. An integrated culminating project provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate expertise on issues critical to financial independence.

• Year 2: Principles of Accounting. This course provides students with an understanding of the critical accounting process and how it facilitates decision making by providing data and information to internal and external stakeholders. Students learn how to apply technology to accounting by creating formulas and inputting data into spreadsheets and/or accounting software programs such as QuickBooks and Peachtree.

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of management accounting, manufacturing and cost accounting, budgeting, accounting for managerial decision-making and financial analysis. Technology will be used for internal decision making, planning and control. A culminating project incorporates cost and pricing, sales mix analysis, performance report preparation, financial ratio comparisons and profitability.

• Year 3: Financial Services. This course investigates the origins of money and banking, and the early history of banking in the United States. Students learn to research and discriminate between investment options through an in-depth study of the financial services industry.

They are also introduced to the insurance industry and the role it plays in the financial services sector. A culminating project combines research of potential risks, regulations and ethical issues related to insurance in order to create a comprehensive needs assessment.

Through this program, students will have to opportunity to earn NAFTrack certification, which is achieved through an online system designed to assess college and career readiness. Education and business leaders created the multi-method approach to assess students on a broad range of college and career readiness skills.

Student performance is measured not only through end-of-course exams, but also through culminating projects and internships. Upon successful completion of NAFTrack certification, students are eligible for NAFTrack Certified Hiring.

Several of the country’s top companies have committed to NAFTrack Certified Hiring as a promise to give special consideration to college students and eventual job applicants who, as high school graduates, earned NAFTrack certification.

Indian River and Sussex Central each have an NAF advisory board comprising local businesspeople, community leaders and education officials. The boards will meet several times each year to provide feedback on curriculum and input on the skills local business from students once they leave high school.

Incoming ninth- and 10th-graders at Sussex Central High School should contact their guidance counselor if they are interested in enrolling in the pathway next year. Indian River students should contact Assistant Principal Justin Miller.

The Delaware Department of Education has awarded four new 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) program grants under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including one to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension 4-H at the Indian River School District’s Phillip C. Showell Elementary School and Hickory Tree Center (also, John M. Clayton Elementary School and Selbyville Middle School students).

The 21st CCLC programs are designed to provide students with academic enrichment activities to improve the academic success of students from Title I schools. Schools are designated as Title I based on high percentage of students who come from low-income families.

The 21st CCLC programs are partnerships between a school (or schools) and community partner(s). Partnerships may design programs that support elementary, middle and/or high school students. Grantees must serve students who attend schools that are eligible as Title I schoolwide programs. Subgrantees must offer opportunities for families to actively and meaningfully engage in their children’s education.

Funding for 21st CCLCs is awarded through a competitive process. Applicants propose a program and budget based on the activities designed to meet the needs of their students. The programs are renewable for up to five years.

The new programs awarded this year included the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension 4-H at Indian River School District’s Phillip C. Showell Elementary School and Hickory Tree Center (also John M. Clayton Elementary School and Selbyville Middle School students) will implement programs covering substance abuse, violence prevention, healthy eating and physical activity, family diet and nutritional well-being, and STEM programing, as well as tutoring, afterschool homework help, reading time, hands-on enrichment activities, state and county contests, and field trips, through collaborative partnerships with families, caregivers, school teachers, the Delaware State Housing Authority, and local law enforcement, with a $150,000 grant.

Senator Success Program at Dover High School in Capital School District will aim to increase the on-time graduation rate of all the students actively participating in the program with a $240,000 grant.

The 4-H Afterschool programs at Lake Forest South Elementary School and W. T. Chipman Middle School in the Lake Forest School District will aim to help prepare students to make a positive impact on the world. Students’ families will be engaged through targeted programs that focus on health and wellness, communication, and literacy, with a $70,000 grant each.

Special to the Coastal Point • Submitted: The Berenty family has laminated a 45-year-old letter that they found in a bottle north of the Indian River Inlet (Note: The Coastal Point blurred out the address).On Sept. 6, 1971, a young girl stood atop the old Indian River Inlet bridge. During a family camping trip at the beach, 10-year-old Karen Ball stared at the running water, where she had just thrown a bottle with a handwritten letter inside.

On April 22, 2016, Andy Berenty and his family were enjoying a surf-fishing trip of their own when they came upon an old soda bottle in the sand at Delaware Seashore State Park.

Still within sight of the modern inlet bridge, the Berenty family unearthed the 45-year-old soda bottle on the northern drive-on beach.

“We found this old 7-Up bottle with a screw top, and we noticed something in it,” Berenty said.

Thanks to the Internet, they found Ball still living in Stroudsburg, Pa., where she was amazed that someone had found her childhood letter.

“I remember when I threw it in, I thought, ‘Someone in China or something is gonna find it,’” Ball said. “Years later, I’m thinking it’s gone. It’s just so funny it survived.”

She still vacations in Rehoboth Beach, always detouring to go reminisce at the inlet.

“Oh, my gosh, we used to spend so much time at the inlet, [during] summers, from the time I was little,” said Ball, who loved fishing with her father. “We had a lot of fun there.”

At that time, Delaware Seashore State Park was only about six years old, although people had camped there for years beforehand.

Her family always parked a camper at the inlet south side. At that time, they fished from an old bridge that had been partially dismantled for safety reasons. The center portion was completely removed, leaving two fishing pier-like structures on either side of the inlet. Meanwhile, vehicles drove over another bridge built in 1965 and eventually replaced with the current structure in 2012.

“We caught everything but fish,” Ball joked.

“It was really neat,” said Berenty, whose central New Jersey family loves surf-fishing at the inlet several times a year.

As a scouting family, the Berentys and their three children love visiting the beach. They do a beach cleanup with every visit. Besides Ball’s bottle, the family picked up several bags of garbage, including some 1930s beer cans.

The family had previously found another message in a bottle, although not the second one Ball had launched from a boat.

“She launched the bottle just a couple days before I was born,” Berenty said.

The paper inside the bottle they did find — torn from a simple, spiral-bound notebook — survived fairly well, apart from some discoloration and frayed edges. It amazed both families, considering the changes to the inlet, including construction of a massive new bridge and a sand bypass system that has long helped sand to continue its natural, tidal migration northward, without it getting stuck on the south-side jetty.

No one can know exactly where the bottle traveled in almost a half-century. Maybe it beached after a week or year. Maybe it circled the Atlantic first.

“The ocean is a mysterious thing,” Ball said.