Coastal Point • Kerin Magill : The new boat ramp at Holts Landing State Park allows space for two boats to enter or exit the water at the same time.With a ribbon-cutting ceremony set against an oncoming rainstorm, state officials joined volunteers at the edge of the Indian River Bay on Friday, April 22, to dedicate the new boat ramp at Holts Landing State Park near Millville.

“It’s wonderful to be here on Earth Day to celebrate the completion of this innovative boat ramp, the largest project ever undertaken at Holts Landing State Park,” said Ray Bivens, director of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC’s) Division of Parks & Recreation.

The impending weather provided a fitting backdrop at that particular spot, which is continually battered by tides coming from the Indian River Inlet and has suffered damage over and over again in storms.

DNREC Secretary David Small told the assembled crowd, heavy with volunteers from the Friends of Holts Landing State Park, that the new “state-of-the-art” dual ramp will serve the growing southeastern Sussex County area for years to come.

Small noted that the park’s waterfront has always been a challenge to maintain due to its location.

“This area is very susceptible to the weather,” Small said. He added that Delaware residents “have a right to quality recreation” and that the new boat ramp will add a great deal to that.

Noting the tremendous growth in the area, Small said the $775,000 boat ramp project “will not only repair years of damage but is expected to double its capacity and improve navigational access” to the Indian River Bay waters.

Small said the project brings with it “its own economic drivers” in increased use of the park. After the ceremony, he said that, although the Indian River Bay is certainly a popular destination for boaters, “on this side of the river, there’s not a lot of public access.”

In addition to the ramp itself, the project included an ADA-accessible floating dock and will provide 24-hour access for boaters. DNREC’s Waterway Management Section also dredged material from the boat ramp into the bay, creating a channel 60 feet wide by 4 feet deep that will accommodate boats up to 25 feet long.

The removal and replacement of the previous boat ramp took place over the winter, and the project was not without its challenges, according to Chuck Schonder, president of Friends of Holts Landing State Park. The dredge used for the project “got blown around” quite a bit during the winter, said Schonder, who routinely kept state legislators Sen. Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View) and Rep. Ron Gray, (R-Selbyville) apprised of the project’s progress.

“Seventy percent of the time, they couldn’t use the dredge because of conditions,” Schonder said. The dredging project began after the boat ramp was completed in January.

Hocker secured $300,000 in the 2014-fiscal-year state bond bill that supported the improvements at Holts Landing State Park.

“I want to recognize the Friends of Holts Landing State Park, and their spirit and energy, in coordinating all of the special events that take place in this beautiful park. This is the first of many more improvements to come, including those that will improve the area’s trail system,” said Hocker.

“I am thrilled to be able to participate in this event today,” said Gray, who has worked extensively with the Friends of Holts Landing State Park to bring the project to fruition. “The crews that worked on getting this new boat ramp installed in a timely fashion for our boaters and recreational users should be commended. I also believe the dredging that has been completed to date will again give boaters access to Indian River Bay from Holts Landing. This is a good day for our boating community.”

The Division of Parks & Recreation took the lead on the design, permitting and construction of the new ramp, with the assistance of Andrews, Miller & Associates, a consulting firm from Easton, Md. The Division of Fish & Wildlife provided technical assistance and planning for the ramp and assisted with repairs to the original ramp. Construction was completed by MADCORP of Dover.

Holts Landing’s 203 acres includes grassy fields and hardwood forests, in addition to its waterfront. Historically, the shores of the Inland Bays were home to Native Americans, who harvested seafood and hunted in the surrounding marshes and forests. After European settlers arrived, agriculture developed slowly around the “little bays.”

The property that is now Holts Landing State Park has a long history as a small family farm. The Holt family maintained a farm with a boat landing on the site until 1957, when the property was sold to the state highway department. Then, in 1965, the first parcel of land was transferred to the State Parks Commission, forming Holts Landing State Park.

Schonder said the park’s trail system will be the next major focus for the Friends. A 150-foot boardwalk over wetlands is proposed, as is a playground.

A Sussex County Superior Court judge has set bail at $1.5 million for accused murderer Matthew Burton of Dagsboro.

On Monday, April 25, Judge E. Scott Bradley set a cash bail of $500,000 for each count upon which he was charged — two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree rape — in connection with the 2012 murder of Nicole Bennett.

Burton was initially indicted in 2012 and charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as first- and second-degree rape, third- and fourth-degree sex offense, kidnapping and first-degree assault.

During the 2012 hearing, it was disclosed that “certain items were found of a peculiar nature … a ski mask, rope, gloves” were found in Burton’s car, along with Burton’s DNA on Bennett.

Bennett, who worked at Bay Shore Babies and Splash in Gumboro, Del., went into work on the evening of June 15, 2012, and was reported missing the following morning by her husband, when he realized she had not returned home.

Bennett’s body was discovered just an hour later, on Swamp Road near Whaleyville in Worchester County, Md., on an embankment that slopes down from the roadway.

The body was later identified as Bennett’s, and an autopsy conducted found that Bennett had been murdered and that the cause of her death was asphyxiation.

It was later discovered that Burton had been working a custodial shift in the church on the night of Bennett’s disappearance.

Burton is currently being held in the Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown. His trial is scheduled for October.

Talk about commercial shellfish aquaculture in the inland bays is continuing, officially and otherwise. The public can speak at a public hearing on Wednesday, June 8, hosted by Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC). The hearing begins at 6 p.m. at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach.

That is good news for some residents along the Little Assawoman Bay who requested a hearing to address their fear that an overabundance of pole markers will be intrusive and unsightly.

Moreover, while many locals were excited to see DNREC exclude areas such as Beach Cove from current plans, those acres aren’t 100 percent off the table. Residents want assurance that those locations will be permanently excluded from future aquaculture plans in the Indian River Bay, Little Assawoman Bay and Rehoboth Bay.

The public hearing is an unexpected continuation of the public comments period, originally scheduled to close April 12. A hearing wasn’t intended unless DNREC Secretary David Small determined it to be in the public interest, or if DNREC received a written meritorious objection to the application.

“Subsequently, the Department determines that the public interest warrants holding a public hearing on the proposed Statewide Activity Approval,” according to the DNREC legal notice.

Comments are allowed regarding the proposed Statewide Activity Approval (SAA), which is being reviewed by the Wetlands & Subaqueous Lands Section. The SAA would facilitate the issuance of permits for commercial shellfish aquaculture activities in Delaware’s Inland Bays.

In March, DNREC revealed that it will only pursue 343 acres as “Shellfish Aquaculture Development Areas” (SADA) in the inland bays, instead of the 442 acres originally proposed.

Since a public hearing is coming, the public comments period has been extended until June 8. People may speak aloud or submit written comments that night or submit written comments in advance.

People wishing to speak are being encouraged to preregister by June 6, to determine the order of speakers at the public hearing.

Registration or written comments should be emailed to HYPERLINK “mailto:Robert.Haynes@state.de.us” Robert.Haynes@state.de.us. or mailed to Robert P. Haynes, Esq., Senior Hearing Officer; DNREC Office of the Secretary; P.O. Box 1401, 89 Kings Hwy.; Dover, Delaware 19901.

The Delaware State Legislature passed the shellfish aquaculture bill in 2013, seeing it as a way to create economic growth and help clean the bays, as oysters are known to filter water impurities. DNREC was given the authority to create regulations and pick the sites for development.

The public notice for the hearing and the background on the aquaculture plan can be found online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries/Pages/ShellfishAquaculture.aspx.

The Indian River School District has pulled its longtime chief financial officer out of the office.

“Effective April 24, 2016, Chief Financial Officer Patrick Miller has been placed on paid administrative leave by the Indian River School District,” stated Superintendent Susan Bunting. “State and federal laws protecting the privacy rights of employees prevent the district from commenting further on this issue at this time.”

Miller has been IRSD’s CFO since September of 1998.

During Miller’s leave of absence, the Delmar School District is helping the IRSD.

“The financial department is running business as usual,” said district spokesperson David Maull, but Delmar will provide the administrative support, such as signing off on financial documents.

“With Delmar’s assistance, we’re going to be just fine, as far as conducting our regular financial business, paying our bills and everything,” Maull said. “We’ve got a really good finance [office].”

But the IRSD is in the middle of writing applications to the state for three new schools, plus renovations and additions to maybe four more. The board of education interviewed architectural firms on Monday to begin planning. Maull said Miller’s departure will not effect affect those proposed projects.

When asked if an investigation is ongoing, Maull said he couldn’t comment.

Miller was absent from the Monday board meeting. He is also president of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company and chairman of the board at the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Orchard/Riverdale.

On May 5, Christians around that U.S. were set to come together for the 65th annual National Day of Prayer, gathering on Thursday at noon at designated locations, to pray together.

According to the event’s website, “It is an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest as we call on citizens to humbly come before His throne.”

For the first time, Bethel United Methodist Church has sponsored a gathering, hosted by the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department.

“We are hoping to gather outside, if possible,” said Bethel United Methodist Church pastor the Rev. Susan Sliker early this week.
“However, if it rains, we will certainly come inside. We have some opening remarks that I will make. There will be some music being played as people gather.

“And, right at noon, as it will be all over the East Coast, in this time zone, we’ve asked the fire company to ring their siren once, and then a prayer will be read — one that was prewritten by Tony Evans. He’s a well-known national evangelist. He has written a prayer that all events will pray at noon.”

Following Sliker’s reading of Evans’ prayer, other people from the community have been asked to pray for different aspects of society — from education to veterans and everything in between.

“Just every aspect and area that we could think of, we will have somebody praying for them,” she said. “We will end with ‘God Bless America’ being sung, and then the benediction. Then we will be on our way.”

Sliker said that, although this is the first year the church is sponsoring a National Day of Prayer event, they plan to continue holding them in future years.

“This will be the first annual,” she said. “We needed to do it. We needed to be the catalyst of an event welcoming the community together.”

Sliker said sponsoring the event was the work of members from within Bethel’s congregation.

“I was very excited when laypeople came to me with this idea. It’s not my initial idea. It came from the laypeople of our church, and I’m very grateful because I truly believe when laypeople have a vision and they drive it, take ownership of it… That’s really important because they get involved in ministry and take ownership of the event,” she said.

Sliker had previously served in a county-wide National Day of Prayer event in Pennsylvania, but she said the force behind the new event in Dagsboro was truly her congregants. “This was not my idea. It was certainly all of their idea. And all of them just working together — it’s just amazing and overwhelming to us how it’s been coming together.”

Sliker said that, by sponsoring the event, they hope to serve those in the Dagsboro area.

“Nobody else, as far as we know, in this general area, was having an event. Because it is a national event, we just felt we wanted to offer folks in this area the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than we,” she said, noting that South Bethany is also hosting a prayer.

Bethel currently averages around 70 congregation members for Sunday worship, but Sliker said that number can fluctuate.

“We have very active members — active in all kinds of community and church-wide events,” she said. “I’m very grateful for this wonderful congregation that realizes the church must be visible in the community and outside the four walls. We can’t stay inside the walls anymore. We must get out and love people the way Jesus taught us to. We will do that.”

Sliker invited all who wish to join in prayer to join Bethel United Methodist and come together.

“We are always intentionally building bridges with organizations and other churches in our area. We can no longer let things divide us. We need to be united. We’re very grateful. We share a property line with the fire department. So we work really close together, and we’re trying to find different ways that we can do that, and this is one,” she said.

“Certainly, come out and be a part of it, because this will be an annual event,” she urged. “This is the first one, but it will not be the last one.”

The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department is located at 31818 Waples Street in Dagsboro.

Advocates and supporters can Walk the Boards for Parkinson’s on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Rehoboth Beach.
At the bandstand, there will be a variety of exhibitors providing information on various services available to seniors. There will be face painting for children, as well as entertainment including Cathy Gorman, mime Patricia Absher, the Back Bay Strummers and Mathew Street Band.
Proceeds of the walk will benefit the Parkinson’s Education & Support Group of Sussex County. Founded in 2009, the mission of the non-profit organization is to provide education and support for individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease, raise public awareness about the disease, carry out programs such as exercise classes, and support research seeking to improve the treatment of Parkinson’s disease or to find a cure.
To register for the walk or to make a donation, go to www.delmarvaparkinsonsalliance.org or register on the day of the walk at the Rehoboth bandstand.

The Walt Jones Memorial Project will host its Annual Auction Night to benefit Sussex County Habitat for Humanity on Thursday, May 12, at Bethany Blues in Lewes from 5 to 9 p.m., and the public is invited. Admission is free, and appetizers are complimentary. To donate items for the auction or to co-sponsor the event with Bethany Blues, contact Affiliate Relations at (302) 855-1153, ext. 209, or visit: www.waltjonesmemorialproject.com or www.sussexcountyhabitat.org.
The public is also being invited to take a chance on a Golfer’s Tour valued at $2,500 for $20! The winner will play some of the area’s courses, 28 rounds in all. Raffle tickets may be purchased now at the Habitat office in Georgetown, during Auction Night and at the upcoming Golf Outing. The winning ticket will be drawn on June 11 at Habitat’s annual summer picnic. The ticket holder need not be present to win.
Walt Jones loved golf. As the owner and operator of both the Old Landing Golf Course until 1979 and Midway Par 3 course prior to his passing in 2010, he donated use of the Midway Par 3 Golf Course for Habitat’s Annual Golf Outing since its inception. His family continues his legacy of giving to this day. Additional annual events, such as the indoor winter Golf Clinic, spring Wine Tasting and Annual Auction Night also provide opportunities for friends and neighbors to support Habitat in his memory.
Tee times of 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. are available now for the upcoming Annual Golf Outing, to be held Friday, May 13, at Midway Par 3. To register to golf or to sponsor a hole or a tee, contact Affiliate Relations at (302) 855-1153, ext. 209, or visit: www.waltjonesmemorialproject.com or www.sussexcountyhabitat.org.

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) announced this week that the seventh annual DE-feet Breast Cancer 5K Run/Walk will take place at the Tanger Outlet Center (Seaside) in Rehoboth Beach on Sunday, May 22.
This year’s race is being produced by Races2Run and sponsored, in part, by Tanger Outlets. The Run/Walk is designed to be a family-friendly event open to participants of all ages. All money raised will benefit DBCC’s programs and services to support those touched by breast cancer in Delaware and the surrounding communities.
The Seventh Annual DE-feet Breast Cancer Run/Walk will be held (rain or shine) at the Tanger Outlet Center’s Seaside location (36470 Seaside Outlet Drive, Rehoboth) and will follow a 5K course that will loop through part of the Breakwater Trail.
Registration costs $25 per person before May 18 and $30 for day-of registration. Online registration is open at www.defeetbreastcancerwalk.org. Tech T-shirts are guaranteed for pre-registered participants that are registered before May 7. Participants can take part in the chip-timed 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m. or a 1-Mile Fun Walk at 8:35 a.m. Packet pick-up will be available on Saturday, May 21, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes.
“We are really proud that DE-feet brings together over 1,000 community members each year,” said Beth Krallis, DBCC communications director. “Our event not only raises funds to support our local programs and services in the community, but it brings together families, children and adults of all ages to raise awareness of breast cancer and support those who have been touched by the disease and remember those who are no longer with us.”
Day-of registration will open at 7 a.m., and pre-race activities begin at 7:55 a.m., featuring live music and local D.J.s Petch and Amy from Eagle-97.7. The morning will kick off with a special “Circle of Hope” survivor celebration and the release of white doves. After the race, there will be a party under the tent with D.J. Anthony DiVirgilio, a food court, wine and beer garden, the Starboard’s Famous Bloody Mary Bar and awards for top finishers in various age categories. Team and individual spirit awards will also be presented. Racers and participants are being encouraged to wear pink.
“Team-building and fundraising is encouraged as part of the 5K,” said Krallis. “Last year, we were inspired by so many teams who came up with creative costumes, imaginative names, and really had fun with the event. There is no team minimum, and no amount is too small for a team to raise.”
Major sponsors to date include Sposato Landscape Co., Tanger Outlets and WBOC-16, Del-One Credit Union, Sharp Energy, the Meoli Companies, T.D. Bank, Edgewell Personal Care, Bayhealth Medical Center, the Crooked Hammock, Long & Foster, Elzufon Austin Reardon Tarlov & Mondell PA and Quillen Signs.
Proceeds from the seventh annual DE-feet Breast Cancer 5K Run/Walk will benefit DBCC’s programs to increase breast cancer awareness, promote the importance of early detection, provide access to mammograms, and provide support and resources to women and men in the local community who are newly diagnosed or facing recurrence of breast cancer.
For more information about the DE-feet Breast Cancer Run/Walk, visit www.defeetbreastcancerwalk.org. Online registration, as well as printable registration forms, can be found on the site.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is inviting anglers and photography enthusiasts to enter the 2016 Delaware Fishing Photo Contest. The winning photo will be featured either on the cover or inside the 2017 Delaware Fishing Guide, to be published early next year.
A judging panel comprising DNREC staff will be looking for photos that best portray this year’s contest theme, “Fishing with Friends or Family,” by depicting anglers enjoying fishing in the great outdoors with their friends or family. Judges also will be looking at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition.
“The photography contest is a great chance for anglers to showcase and share their fishing adventures with other anglers,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “The theme helps reinforce and capture the fun of a shared outdoor fishing experience.”
The contest is open to Delaware residents of all ages, with a maximum of three entries per person. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape photos, if chosen among contest winners, may be cropped for presentation.
Entries may be mailed to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Photo Contest, Attention: Jennifer Childears, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by Saturday, Oct. 31, and must include a completed and signed entry form and photo release form if the photograph contains images of children.
Photos must be submitted as 8-by-10-inch photo-quality prints, with no frames or mats and no markings or signatures on the front or back. Winning entries must be made available in a digital version with resolution of 300 dpi or greater (when blown up to 8 by 10 inches).
Normal processing of RAW image files, minimal cropping and minor adjustments to color and contrast are acceptable. HDR and focus stacking are permitted as long as the manipulation is disclosed upon entry. Nothing should be added to the image or, aside from dust spots, taken away.
The entrant must hold all rights to the photograph and must not infringe on the rights of any other person. Images that involve unlawful harm to fish or damage to the environment should not be submitted and will not be accepted. Entries will not be returned.
For more information, including entry forms, contact Jennifer Childears at (302) 739-9910 or email jennifer.childears@state.de.us.

The 11th Annual Baywood Golf Classic will take place on Wednesday, June 1, at the championship golf course of Baywood Greens. The event raises funds for Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center, furthering the mission of providing hope and wellness to its patients.
Tom Protack, vice president of development for the Beebe Medical Foundation, said, “We continue to see an increasing demand for services at the Tunnell Cancer Center. Our community is grateful to have an excellent award-winning local cancer center.”
The Beebe Medical Foundation announced this week that Dr. Srihari Peri, medical director of medical oncology at Beebe Healthcare, has volunteered to serve as honorary chair of the event. Peri has been with Beebe Healthcare since 1991, providing care to cancer patients. In 1995, when Tunnell Cancer Center was opened, thanks to the generosity of Robert and Eolyne Tunnell, Peri was named medical director.
Under his leadership, the Center has grown in both medical staff and services, and consistently received approval from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). In 2005, the CoC granted Tunnell Cancer Center the Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation, an accreditation it continues to hold.
In 2015, the CoC also presented Tunnell Cancer Center with the 2014 Outstanding Achievement Award. Tunnell is one of a select group of only 75 U.S. healthcare facilities out of 588 CoC-accredited Comprehensive Community Cancer Centers to receive this national honor for surveys performed in 2014. The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.
Lincoln Davis, co-chair of the Baywood Classic said, “We are so appreciative for the support the community has given this event for 10 years. It is remarkable to know that we have raised over $300,000 from local sponsors and players to support various patient and programs at Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center.”
ONIX Group is the Classic Sponsor this year. Individual player fees are $175, and foursomes pay $700. Entry fees include: greens fee, warm-up, contests, golf carts, GPS, breakfast, lunch, on-course refreshments, thank-you gift, door prizes and awards. The tournament begins at 8 a.m., with lunch immediately following.
The event also will include door prizes and both live and silent auctions. Contact Kathy VanBrunt, Beebe Medical Foundation event coordinator, at (302) 644-2900, ext. 16, or kvanbrunt@beebehealthcare.org, with any sponsorship or donation inquiries. Those who can’t play can still consider donating to Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center.

What do books and running shoes have in common? On Saturday, May 21, Friends of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library will present its inaugural Rehoboth Run-for-the-Books 5K. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. behind the library on Christian Street and follows a residential course. The library is located at 226 Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
“We invite readers of all ages to support the library and run or walk in our first 5K,” said Priscilla Smith, president of the Friends of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library. “It will be a fun family event, and afterwards everyone can enjoy a day at the beach.”
A non-profit, the Friends have provided more than $340,000 to the library through its fundraisers since 1991. Its donations have purchased materials including children’s, youth and adult books, CD audio books and DVDs, and supported educational programs for children and adults.
Early registration for the Rehoboth Run-for-the Books 5K costs $25 until May 19; after that, the cost is $30. Online registration is at www.races2run.com. On the day of the event, registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the library breezeway. Proceeds will fund projects at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library.
The course is USATF-certified with chip timing and goes through residential areas of the city. Advance-registration entrants receive a T-shirt. Awards will be given to overall male and female winners and masters male and female winners, along with top three male and female finishers in 10-year age categories from 9 and under, to 80 and over, as well as to the top three walkers. The largest team will be honored with the Rehoboth Beach Public Library Cup. The Papa Grande’s Rehoboth Cup will go to the fastest team.
The post-race party, sponsored by Papa Grande’s Rehoboth, includes a breakfast taco bar with eggs and Mexican fixings. Beer will also be available for participants 21 or older.
For more information about sponsorship or about the event, go to www.races2run.com.

The 11th Annual Baywood Golf Classic will take place on Wednesday, June 1, at the championship golf course of Baywood Greens. The event raises funds for Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center, furthering the mission of providing hope and wellness to its patients.
Tom Protack, vice president of development for the Beebe Medical Foundation, said, “We continue to see an increasing demand for services at the Tunnell Cancer Center. Our community is grateful to have an excellent award-winning local cancer center.”
The Beebe Medical Foundation announced this week that Dr. Srihari Peri, medical director of medical oncology at Beebe Healthcare, has volunteered to serve as honorary chair of the event. Peri has been with Beebe Healthcare since 1991, providing care to cancer patients. In 1995, when Tunnell Cancer Center was opened, thanks to the generosity of Robert and Eolyne Tunnell, Peri was named medical director.
Under his leadership, the Center has grown in both medical staff and services, and consistently received approval from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). In 2005, the CoC granted Tunnell Cancer Center the Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation, an accreditation it continues to hold.
In 2015, the CoC also presented Tunnell Cancer Center with the 2014 Outstanding Achievement Award. Tunnell is one of a select group of only 75 U.S. healthcare facilities out of 588 CoC-accredited Comprehensive Community Cancer Centers to receive this national honor for surveys performed in 2014. The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.
Lincoln Davis, co-chair of the Baywood Classic said, “We are so appreciative for the support the community has given this event for 10 years. It is remarkable to know that we have raised over $300,000 from local sponsors and players to support various patient and programs at Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center.”
ONIX Group is the Classic Sponsor this year. Individual player fees are $175, and foursomes pay $700. Entry fees include: greens fee, warm-up, contests, golf carts, GPS, breakfast, lunch, on-course refreshments, thank-you gift, door prizes and awards. The tournament begins at 8 a.m., with lunch immediately following.
The event also will include door prizes and both live and silent auctions. Contact Kathy VanBrunt, Beebe Medical Foundation event coordinator, at (302) 644-2900, ext. 16, or kvanbrunt@beebehealthcare.org, with any sponsorship or donation inquiries. Those who can’t play can still consider donating to Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center.

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.

Visitors can experience three unique Delmarva farms and gardens up close and personal as part of the 2016 Cape Farm & Garden Tour, to be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in coastal Sussex County.

Tickets cost $20 and are available online at www.capefarmandgardentour.org. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the tour at each participating farm and garden.

Tour sites are Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor, 18864 Cool Spring Road, Milton; Mill Pond Garden, 31401 Melloy Court, Lewes; and Black Hog Farm, 16371 New Road, Lewes. Tourgoers can visit all three venues at their own pace until 4 p.m. The three sites are within about a 15-minute drive.

Carpooling is encouraged, as parking is limited at Black Hog Farm. The Jolly Trolley will provide shuttle service to all three sites. Tourgoers can park at Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor.

Water and iced tea will be provided at all sites. A farm-to-table lunch can be purchased at Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor throughout the day.

If the tour sells out prior to June 11, that information will be posted on the tour website. Website tour booking is available at capefarmandgardentour.org until 6 p.m. on Friday, June 10.

Mill Pond Garden is a half-acre Sentinel Garden, a botanical garden member of the American Public Garden Association, emphasizing native plants, and a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat with a collection of educational habitats. Mill Pond also produces and introduces new cultivars of shrubs and perennial plants with its partner Black Hog Farmstead and contributes to the Longwood Rare Plant Auction for the benefit of the Delaware Center for Horticulture, to the Delaware Botanic Gardens and to Habitat for Humanity.

The tour features in-bloom water lilies, daylilies, Asiatic lilies, alliums, hydrangeas, roses and more, as well as two koi ponds, rustic arbors and Monet-like views of Red Mill Pond. Mill Pond Gardens is directed by Michael Zajic, the founder of Delaware Botanic Gardens and formerly the horticultural supervisor of two public gardens, Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Md., and McCrillis Garden in Bethesda, Md.

Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor is a Delaware agri-tourism site with fields of Hidcote, Munstead, Super and Grosso lavender. The farm is also a stop on the Delmarva Hosta Society Tour. Gardens surround the historic 1890 farmhouse, and visitors can enjoy the fields of fragrant lavender blooms. A large meadow garden features wildflowers. The farm also offers lavender plants and lavender value-added delights for sale in the cottage store.

Activities on June 11 include demonstrations to highlight how to grow lavender, and wreath-making instruction by members of the Milton Garden Club. Judy Knight of the National Capital Area Dahlia Society will demonstrate how to plant and grow dahlias. Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor is home to small-batch handcrafted Soap Fairy and Lavender Fields soap. Soap-making processes will also be discussed. In the afternoon.

An orientation will be given for walking the 11-circuit meditation labyrinth, hand-laid by Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor co-owner Sharon Harris.

Black Hog Farmstead (BHF) is a 4.5-acre diversified farm with a three-room B&B. The property features ornamental gardens, more than 30 containers and fields with beds of produce — more than 60 vegetables are grown on the property — pasture-fed ducks and an enclosed orchard with weeder geese containing a future pick-your-own blueberry patch, figs, fruit and nut trees.

Produce from the farm is sold at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market on Saturdays; eggs and BHF-propagated shrubs are sold from the Farmstead; and a series of gourmet farm-to-table dinners are held once a month from May to October. Garden plantings include a blue, silver and white bed; a red, yellow and orange bed containing many roses; a bed of native perennials and shrubs; and a shade garden with some unusual plants, such as Edgeworthia and Wax Bells. Trays of colorful micro-greens fill the greenhouses, ready for several local restaurants and for sale at the Farmers Market.

John Feliciani, BHF co-owner, recently retired from a 40-year career at Winterthur Museum, Estate & Gardens, the last 23 years as director of horticulture and curator of gardens. Helen S. Waite, BHF co-owner, is a retired horticulturist with a master’s degree in soil science and interests in gardening, holistic orchards and composting.

For more information, visit www.capefarmandgardentour.org.

Volunteers who want to help protect Delaware’s endangered piping plovers and other beachnesting birds by joining DNREC’s monitoring team are being invited to a training session from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 14, at Cape Henlopen State Park’s Biden Environmental Training Center, 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes.

“With the strong storms that hit Delaware’s beaches over the winter, a lot of new habitat for beachnesting birds has opened up. It will be more important than ever that we have volunteer assistance in protecting their nesting habitat so that they can take full advantage of this opportunity to further increase their populations,” said Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey of the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Beachnester Monitoring Program.

The training session will begin with a slideshow, followed by a discussion of the monitoring program and how volunteers can help to ensure that beachnesting shorebirds are not disturbed while rearing their chicks.

Weather permitting, the group will finish the session by venturing out to the Point at Cape Henlopen to look for piping plovers and other shorebirds likely to be feeding on the tidal flats. Birding scopes and binoculars will be available for use, but volunteers are being encouraged to bring their own optics if they have them.

“Volunteers are critical to our protection efforts. When stationed at the boundaries of the nesting areas, volunteers can help explain facts to passersby about the breeding birds and the importance of keeping closed areas free of human disturbance,” Bailey said.

“Without volunteers to supplement the coverage our staff provides, many people might never have the chance to better understand how humans can make a difference in the breeding success of beachnesting birds.”

Preregistration for the training is encouraged, but attendees also will be accepted at the door. Park entrance fees will be waived for volunteers attending the training by notifying the fee booth attendant. For more information on the training, beachnesting birds or monitoring efforts, contact Matthew Bailey at (3020 382-4151 or email matthew.bailey@state.de.us.

The piping plover was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1986, and the Division of Fish & Wildlife is responsible for its protection in Delaware. Under a binding agreement and species management plan that DNREC made in 1990 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) — the federal agency with oversight of the ESA-protected species — piping plover nesting areas at Cape Henlopen State Park are closed annually to the public to protect the shorebirds from disturbance during their nesting season from March into September.

The closure, which includes the Point and smaller areas around Gordon’s Pond, with both feeding habitat and nesting areas protected, has been deemed successful, increasing the number of piping plover nesting pairs from a low of two pairs to a high of nine pairs.

Piping plovers feed on small invertebrates that inhabit the intertidal zone near their nesting territories. Chicks are not fed by their parents, but rather are led to the shoreline to forage while the adults keep watch for potential threats.

Allowing pedestrian traffic in the intertidal zone adjoining nesting areas would disturb the vital link between nesting and foraging habitat and risk adverse stress or mortality to the chicks, Bailey noted.

On May 5, Christians around that U.S. were set to come together for the 65th annual National Day of Prayer, gathering on Thursday at noon at designated locations, to pray together.

According to the event’s website, “It is an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest as we call on citizens to humbly come before His throne.”

For the first time, Bethel United Methodist Church has sponsored a gathering, hosted by the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department.

“We are hoping to gather outside, if possible,” said Bethel United Methodist Church pastor the Rev. Susan Sliker early this week. “However, if it rains, we will certainly come inside. We have some opening remarks that I will make. There will be some music being played as people gather.

“And, right at noon, as it will be all over the East Coast, in this time zone, we’ve asked the fire company to ring their siren once, and then a prayer will be read — one that was prewritten by Tony Evans. He’s a well-known national evangelist. He has written a prayer that all events will pray at noon.”

Following Sliker’s reading of Evans’ prayer, other people from the community have been asked to pray for different aspects of society — from education to veterans and everything in between.

“Just every aspect and area that we could think of, we will have somebody praying for them,” she said. “We will end with ‘God Bless America’ being sung, and then the benediction. Then we will be on our way.”

Sliker said that, although this is the first year the church is sponsoring a National Day of Prayer event, they plan to continue holding them in future years.

“This will be the first annual,” she said. “We needed to do it. We needed to be the catalyst of an event welcoming the community together.”

Sliker said sponsoring the event was the work of members from within Bethel’s congregation.

“I was very excited when laypeople came to me with this idea. It’s not my initial idea. It came from the laypeople of our church, and I’m very grateful because I truly believe when laypeople have a vision and they drive it, take ownership of it… That’s really important because they get involved in ministry and take ownership of the event,” she said.

Sliker had previously served in a county-wide National Day of Prayer event in Pennsylvania, but she said the force behind the new event in Dagsboro was truly her congregants. “This was not my idea. It was certainly all of their idea. And all of them just working together — it’s just amazing and overwhelming to us how it’s been coming together.”

Sliker said that, by sponsoring the event, they hope to serve those in the Dagsboro area.

“Nobody else, as far as we know, in this general area, was having an event. Because it is a national event, we just felt we wanted to offer folks in this area the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than we,” she said, noting that South Bethany is also hosting a prayer.

Bethel currently averages around 70 congregation members for Sunday worship, but Sliker said that number can fluctuate.

“We have very active members — active in all kinds of community and church-wide events,” she said. “I’m very grateful for this wonderful congregation that realizes the church must be visible in the community and outside the four walls. We can’t stay inside the walls anymore. We must get out and love people the way Jesus taught us to. We will do that.”

Sliker invited all who wish to join in prayer to join Bethel United Methodist and come together.

“We are always intentionally building bridges with organizations and other churches in our area. We can no longer let things divide us. We need to be united. We’re very grateful. We share a property line with the fire department. So we work really close together, and we’re trying to find different ways that we can do that, and this is one,” she said.

“Certainly, come out and be a part of it, because this will be an annual event,” she urged. “This is the first one, but it will not be the last one.”

The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department is located at 31818 Waples Street in Dagsboro.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Karen Atkinson was recently named G.W. Carver Academy’s Teacher of the Year for 2016-2017.In recognition of her work toward her goal to help students strive for success, Karen Atkinson was named G.W. Carver Academy Teacher of the Year for 2016-2017.

For Carver students, success might mean returning to their home school, settling into a comfortable routine or, sometimes, just getting through the day.

Carver is an alternative school in Frankford, focusing on individual K-12 students’ academic, behavioral and personal needs in the Indian River School District.

Atkinson helps them transition back to their home schools or to graduation. After working through the Carver program (eight weeks minimum, with individualized support, counselors and behavioral specialists) students can’t just drop back into the old routine.

As transition teacher, Atkinson helps create the support system to ensure success outside of Carver. That might mean a modified schedule, more academic advisement or a familiar face to help deal with frustration or anxiety.

Every student is different, so everyone gets a unique support system.

All Carver students (ranging from 60 to 70 total at any given time) begin the program with their own individualized education program (IEP).

“We’re always setting expectations for our students, and them knowing what’s in their IEP can help them learn what the expectations are, what you need to work on, and where to start,” Atkinson said. “It’s interesting to see their perspective on it.”

For instance, why do they have trouble in math? Was the material confusing? Was the classroom distracting?

Her job may sound similar to that of a counselor, but in such a small school, the staff plays many roles.

“I think it’s across the board — no matter what school you go to, you wear many hats,” Atkinson said. “There’s many different things that you do in a day that’s not necessarily under the ‘transition teacher’ title, or the ‘special-ed’ teacher title, or the ‘counselor’ title.”

Every IEP includes the student’s own career goals. What do they want to do after high school? Atkinson helps them work that into reality. If they want to be a football player or a hair stylist, how can they get there? “How can we get you started?” she said.

Her colleagues called her a role model among the faculty.

“Miss Atkinson will meet them where they are, emotionally, and help them get to a better place,” read one colleague’s recommendation letter.

“She puts her students first and genuinely cares about our education,” wrote a student.

Atkinson tries to build a rapport with the students.

“I think that I’m able to be real with them in that sense... to build trust. A lot of our students struggle with that.” Although their prior school experiences weren’t always positive ones, “It’s amazing what you can do once that rapport is built.”

The biggest challenge, “I think, for us at Carver, is sometimes dealing with a lack of consistency outside of school,” Atkinson said, whether that’s a tricky home life or other extenuating circumstance. “That can affect the success or progress inside the school that we hope to have for our students.”

For that reason, she’s learned not to take things personally when things go wrong. Instead, she reflects afterward if things don’t go according to plan.

She said she would love to see more parent involvement, as most teachers do, but realizes parents are often working every spare moment in an economy that’s still slowly climbing upward.

Atkinson’s favorite part about teaching is “just being with the kids, having an understanding with them and seeing their success.”

“I think the outlook on Carver has changed,” Atkinson said. “Yes, we are an alternative school, and we are able to individualize our programming for each student.”

It’s not just the alternative school. It’s an alternative to everyday school, where students can lean heavily on school supports, such as Atkinson and her coworkers.

“I know I could not do my job without the team that’s behind me. This is not a job that we do alone, so I accept the award on behalf of everyone in my building,” said Atkinson, honored to win her first Teacher of the Year award. “Without them, I couldn’t do what I do.

Besides guiding youth in the classroom, Atkinson represents her school and district on committees that aim to bring good ideas into the classroom, such as the Implementation Cadre, Transition Cadre, school Leadership Committee and the Crisis Team for school emergencies. She’s also the school’s homebound coordinator and co-lead on the student-focused professional learning community (PLC).

When not at school, Atkinson said, she loves to be outside, especially at the beach, with her dogs or her family.

She started at Carver by teaching career and life skills, then became the special-education coordinator. Now she works with grades 6 to 12.

After taking her first college course in special education, Atkinson said, she was hooked on teaching. She attended St. Joseph’s University for her undergraduate work. She then graduated from Long Island University, with a master’s degree in literacy, plus special-ed certifications. Originally from Long Island, Atkinson taught at a residential facility before moving to the Mid-Atlantic, closer to much of her family.

“They’re a really eclectic group of kids, and working with such different students throughout the year,” she said, the important thing is “just knowing that someone’s on their side. That’s what I feel for this particular population that we work with, especially — knowing that they have someone there, regardless of what’s maybe going on outside of school for them,” she said.

Coastal Point • Submitted: The IRHS Business Professionals of America showed their skills at this year’s state conference. Pictured, from left, are: front row, Madison Baker, David Clark, Morgan Bartholomew and Hayden McWilliams; and, back row, James Brannon, Jake Elliott, Griffin McCormick and John Wharton.Most students won’t graduate from high school with award-winning skills in PC troubleshooting, payroll accounting or financial management. But Indian River High School students won nine awards in such professional skills at the Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference in Dover in February.

Coached by Stephanie Wilkinson and Jeff Bunting, eight of them were eligible to national competition May 5-9 in Boston.

IRHS winners included:

• First place, Video Production Team — Madison Baker and Morgan Bartholomew

• First place, Financial Math & Analysis — Hayden McWilliams

• Second place, Economic Research — David Clark

• Second place, Interview Skills — John Wharton

• Second place, PC Troubleshooting — Jacob Elliott

• Second place, Payroll Accounting — David Clark

• Second place, Personal Financial Management — Hayden McWilliams

• Second place, Prepared Speech — Griffin McCormick

• Third Place, Fundamentals of Accounting — James Brannon.

“They’re awesome kids to work with. They take their events seriously,” Wilkinson said. “Their work ethic is incredible. … They were constantly trying to perfect their event.”

Five students also brought home a prestigious Torch Award for leadership and service over their high school career. Statesman status (the highest honor at the state level) was awarded to David Clark, who was also elected as vice president of the SPA State Officer Leadership Team for 2016-2017. Diplomat status was awarded to Kennedy Butch, Helen Davis, Joseph D’Orazio and Griffin McCormick.

All five students attending nationals this year are first-timers, although three other students were eligible but had scheduling conflicts.

Competition varies, with interviews, scripted presentations and sit-down tests.

“The real-world life application that BPA brings to these students is incredible,” Wilkinson said. “It’s just so applicable to life and what you’re going to face in the real world.”

Students sometime play to their abilities, or they may try something completely new. John Wharton did both. He was comfortable with the Interview Skills competition, résumé, cover letter and all. (He broke the ice by complimenting the interviewer’s necktie.)

But Wharton also tested his boundaries with Extemporaneous Speaking, which only gave him 10 minutes to prepare a speech on-the-fly.

Excited to be representing IRHS this spring, 12th-grader Wharton said he only wished he had joined BPA sooner.

Sophomore Madison Baker said she never imagined how much prep work video production would require. Before she and Morgan Bartholomew even picked up a camera, they had to research teenage alcoholism, find the most compelling statistics, interview local first-responders, write the script and plan storyboards.

Their video had to be compelling (and it included interesting camera angles in the opening credits), but the students were on display, too. Judges interviewed them about the whole project.

“The more you practice, the better it gets. That’s for sure,” Baker said.

The judges liked that they were honest about tough learning experiences (such as remembering to save their computer files or getting video release forms).

Months of preparation also taught them time management, teamwork, communication, presentation skills, copyright information and more.

“It takes a lot of time, but they’re here to help you though it all,” Baker said of her coaches.

“These kids worked very hard in their respective events,” Bunting said, including the non-medalists. All 23 were definitely ready to compete, he said.

It helps that IRHS brings actual business professionals from the community to critique the students beforehand. Students get feedback and work through their jitters so state and national competitions are easier.

IRHS color run coming

The BPA and Future Farmers of America are partnering to fundraise this spring with a “My School Color Run” on June 11 at 10 a.m.

“It’s a fundraiser for two really good organizations. We’re trying to get the community involved in a healthy initiative,” Wilkinson said.

“The students are excited about it. They are putting teams together,” Wilkinson added. “Their hype is catching on with the rest of the students.”

Participants can run or walk the untimed event. They can register early for a discounted rate, online at www.indianriverbpaandffacolorrun.eventbrite.com. Registration includes a free goodie bag, snacks and a T-shirt (white, of course). (Goodies aren’t guaranteed to people who sign up that morning.)

They’re designing 5K and 1-mile courses around the school grounds that include color splash zones.

All ages are welcome. Check-in starts at 9 a.m., with the run at 10 a.m.

“Come out and just have a fun day,” Wilkinson said.

The school groups are organizing the event themselves, to reduce costs and maximize fundraising potential.

Businesses and individuals wishing to sponsor the event are greatly appreciated, they said. For more information, contact Stephanie Wilkinson or Jennifer Cordrey at (302) 732-1500.

Businesses can also contribute items or coupons for the goodie bags. Water and healthy snacks are also being collected. All items are due by May 20.

DelDOT contractor Mumford & Miller Concrete Inc. has extended the dates during which they will be doing bridge repairs on the bridge over Swan Creek on Route 24 (John J. Williams Highway) between Maryland Camp Road and William Street Road, east of Millsboro, necessitating a closure and detour in that area.

The new dates are 7 a.m. on Monday, May 2, until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, pending weather.

The work consists of placing sheet pile, riprap and pouring of a new headwall to prevent slope erosion and slope failure. The joint between the original culvert and the culvert extension will also be sealed.

The detour route eastbound goes from Route 24 onto Hollyville Road, turning right on Mount Joy Road and returning to Route 24. The detour route westbound goes from Route 24, turning right on Mount Joy Road, turning left onto Hollyville Road and back to Route 24. Detour signage will be posted for motorists.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Jumping for joy: Indian River’s winning Odyssey of the Mind Team included, from left, Kayla Harant, Olivia Hudson, Ethan Rakes, Trinity Kelso, Kaila McCabe and Madison Johnson.
The Indian River School District will once again represent Delaware in a worldwide creative problem-solving competition.

Six students will continue the district’s proud tradition of competing in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals this month at Iowa State University, from May 25 to 28.

The team coached by Jennifer Perry took first place in the state competition for the “Furs, Fins, Feathers & Friends” category for Division II (middle school).

The winning team included Kayla Harant, Madison Johnson and Kaila McCabe of Selbyville Middle School; Olivia Hudson and Ethan Rakes of Southern Delaware School of the Arts; and Trinity Kelso of Millsboro Middle School.

“Worlds is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” said McCabe, the only team member who’s attended before. Through pin-trading and other events at the competitions, kids get “to meet people from all over the world, like China, Hong Kong, Switzerland — you name it.”

Each year, teams can choose from one of five problems, such as technical feats or balsa wood balancing structures. But this middle school team is all about drama. Their performances are their strong suit.

“They continue to amaze me with their creativity and outside-the-box thinking … their ideas on how to create things,” said Perry, an OM parent and coach.

The judges liked their script, including the puns and allusions to fairy tales, which inspired the team’s animal characters. Plus, the set piece was a giant book, which opens to become a full-sized backdrop.

“It opens, and it’s like the scene is inside the pages,” Kelso said.

The eight-minute performance had to include certain criteria: three animals with realistic costumes; a song and dance; a creative sound effect; and certain plot elements. They also built contraptions, including a working bucket and well.

Then there was the “chicken butt.”

In the play, Olivia Hudson’s hen character got so nervous that she would lay an egg. So the team built a contraption to drop an egg from her costume, using bottle caps, cardboard, fishing line, a vacuum hose and hook-and-loop fastening material.

With a $125 price limit, teams are encouraged to “upcycle” old products. That’s how they came to make coffee filter “fish scales,” and paint juice box “bricks” and newspaper “chicken feathers.”

“They chose to think outside the box,” Perry said, quoting one of the hallmarks of OM.

The competition also includes a short-term “spontaneous” problem. For instance, the team had several minutes to attach or hang as many objects as possible to a vertical dowel rod, using random household items.

“It’s an unforgettable experience, really, to be with all these people and doing something you wouldn’t get to do normally, learning to build with tools — a lot of like life skills that you don’t get other places,” said McCabe.

“I’m one of the only people in my homeroom that can work a glue gun,” said Kelso.

With a full winter of long weekend practices, Odyssey of the Mind teams often bond together.

“It takes a lot of work,” said Harant.

“You’ve seen them through their best and worst times,” Kelso said.

“I think we get along really well,” McCabe said.

Team asks community for help

Sending even one team of students and chaperones to Iowa for the world competition isn’t cheap, and IRSD’s Odyssey of the Mind team is fundraising, grateful to any business or individuals who would contribute to the trip.

Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to OOTM Boosters; Audrey Carey, Supervisor of Elementary Instruction, IRSD Educational Complex; 31 Hosier St.; Selbyville, DE 19975.

There are also shopping donation days at the Five Below shop in west Ocean City, Md. With a flier, customers can ensure that 10 percent of those sales from May 16 to May 21 will be donated to IRSD’s team.

“These kids are learning skills that will help them be better leaders in the future,” Perry said. That includes research skills, teamwork, problem-solving and more.

“They really have worked hard, put in the time. It’s nice to see support behind academic programs,” Perry added.

A legacy of Odyssey

Four IRSD teams competed at the Sussex County regionals in March. Two middle school teams advanced to states, where the “No-Cycle Recycle” team coached by Mary Bixler won third place, with the top spontaneous score.

IRSD students have participated in Odyssey of the Mind for more than 30 years. Sam Micklus created the program in the 1970s at Glassboro State College in New Jersey, when he first challenged his engineering students to cross the college lake using materials worth no more than $5.

Last year, 850 teams from across the nation and world competed at World Finals. This year, 32 teams will represent Delaware at the World Finals (the top two winners in each category).