The Ocean View Board of Adjustment met last week to review a number of variance applications.

The board approved an application for a variance that would allow the construction of an addition to the rear of a home that would encroach 16.7 feet into the required 30-foot rear-yard setback. Submitted by property owner Chris Sullivant of Country Village, the enclosed addition would also attach to a porch on the home.

Sullivant told the board that, because of the unique placement of the house on the property, he has had issues with setbacks left and right since he purchased the home three years ago.

He said the Country Village HOA was aware of the application and approved of Sullivant’s plans.

Neighbor Michael Schaefer said Sullivant is a responsible neighbor and that he was in favor of the application.

Schaefer’s wife, Dana, testified that the addition to Sullivant’s house would benefit both property owners.

“The character and quality of the family is awesome,” said neighbor Scott Bird, voicing his support of the application. “Their goal is to make the place better.”

A Country Village resident whose home abuts the rear of Sullivant’s home said that while, he has nothing against the family personally, he was opposed to their application.

“[The room] would be very, very close to the property line… It feels so close,” he said.

He said he fears the addition could impact him if his family chose to sell their home in the future, as the closest room to the proposed expansion is the master bedroom.

The Board approved the variance with a vote of 4-1, with Board Member Jim LeGates opposed.

Asked if there was an appeals process, Public Works Director Charles McMullen said opponents could appeal the Board’s decision to the State’s Superior Court within 30 days of the date of approval.

The Board last week also unanimously approved an application submitted by Robert and Donna Veigle, for a variance to allow for the water’s edge of a pool they wish to install to encroach 6 feet into the required 30-foot rear-yard setback.

Robert Veigle said that only a wedge of the pool’s edge would encroach and that he didn’t believe it would have a detrimental effect on neighboring properties.

The Board approved that application with a 5-0 vote.

While many look at the holiday season as a time of cheer to be shared with family and friends, there are some who do not have as joyous a time.

For those — the lost, lonely, grieving and overwhelmed — Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church holds its Blue Christmas, a service of hope for those in need in the community.

“For most people, everything is all happy and colorful and joy, but there are a lot of hurting people,” said retired pastor Kay Lanasa. “This service is designed for those who want a place to come.”

This year’s service will be held on Friday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m. in Mariner’s sanctuary. Those who attend are being encouraged to bring a photo of someone missing in their life that they wish to remember.

“We ask people to bring a picture of their loved one. We have a place down front where they can place their picture. A prayer person will escort them, and there’s a blue candle there that they will ‘light,’” she explained. “If somebody doesn’t bring a picture, there will be a card where they write down the person’s name.”

Attendees will also be given a small knit square — a prayer cloth — to pray with and take home with them.

“While they’re hearing something read, they can feel their prayer cloth. The prayer shawl ministry makes these. Every stitch is prayed over in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — every stitch — not only in these but in the big prayer shawls as well.”

Those who attend the service may come and go as they choose. They do not have to speak or participate. Lanasa said Mariner’s Prayer Team will be on hand to pray with anyone who requests additional prayer.

“They do not have to do anything. All they’re expected to do is sit. Some sit in the corner; some bring someone else,” she said. “It’s around music and some scripture.”

During the service, attendees will be hear the music of Paul and Christel Grandell, who oversee the church’s Praise Band.

“My husband, Paul, and I have had the privilege of writing some songs over the years, many of them driven by Pastor Kay for the Blue Christmas service,” said Christel Grandell, praise band/worship media director at Mariner’s. “Paul had the privilege of writing music with Don Thompson, a national singer/songwriter. And one of the songs that came out of that collaboration was ‘Pool of Tears.’”

“The point of the song is everyone sits beside someone’s pool of tears,” added Lanasa.

Also during the service, Mariner’s Pastoral Intern Joe Ciccante will speak about “a spirit filled with hope.”

Lanasa brought the idea of a Blue Christmas service with her when she moved to the area from Virginia 12 years ago.

“Each year, it’s different. It’s never the same. Everybody knows somebody who is hurting, somebody who needs healing, somebody who is dealing with death, addiction. People have lost jobs… People come because they’re not happy.”

This year’s theme focuses on weaving hope out of that which seems to be hopeless. This year, an original piece of artwork was created by Miranda “Andie” Harlan, a parishioner who is also part of the group that organizes the service.

“I knew I wanted to draw something, and Pastor Kay agreed… The idea of threads of the lost, lonely, overwhelmed and grieving being made into a fabric of hope — that idea is really cool. And above the weaver’s loom, Christ being above it all, that’s where we have our hope.”

Harlan said the purpose of the Blue Christmas service spoke to her, and she knew she wanted to be involved.

“My mother passed away about five years ago. I had a difficult relationship with my mother. The Blue Christmas, it’s a nice way for people around the holidays to participate in something.... The holidays can be tough for some people. [The service] is a good way to remember them and what you love.”

People go through difficult ordeals in their lives, said Harlan, be it alcoholism, illness or separation from family, and something like Blue Christmas can offer comfort.

“I like the idea of a Blue Christmas, because we can bring it to the Lord and spend time, allowing God to heal our hearts at this time,” she said. “I just know, through my life, the holidays haven’t been happy for some people. I think it’s nice for it to be open to people in the community of any denomination to come and reflect on the people that they miss.”

Harlan officially joined Mariner’s three months ago, after attending services for about two years.

“I hadn’t been going to church for a few years, and I was praying about a really good church to belong to. I went to the 9:30 service. I felt that it was the right place to be. I felt there was a lot of grace there. And, what I’ve learned is it’s an ecumenical place, which means they include other churches — it’s a very inclusive place.”

Church offers healing, prayer ministries, more

During the holiday season, aside from the Blue Christmas service, Mariner’s also offers Christmas concerts and its Living Nativity and provides Christmas presents to families in need. Throughout the year, the church is active in the community, with the Feed My Sheep Ministry, Trunk-or-Treat, Prayer Ministry, Vacation Bible School and more.

“They have a lot of ministries, and there’s a place for everyone. God can use each person — I like that about Mariner’s — young and old. All kinds of walks of life, there’s a place for you to serve,” said Harlan.

“It’s all open to the community. The reason is God doesn’t want us to keep him and his story inside. He wants us to take it out,” said Grandell.

Grandell said that, although the church has been going beyond its walls for years (even doing twice-yearly mission trips to Costa Rica), it was the Rev. David Humphrey who made it into a mission.

“The concept started before that, but he really enforced that. He challenged us last year that no need would go unaddressed within a 12-mile radius of the church. That’s kind of our church mission, but we go beyond that radius.”

Lanasa said the Blue Christmas service draws between 60 and 70 community members every year. Those who are unable to attend or need additional prayer are always welcome to the church’s Prayer Room, which is open every Tuesday night from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The church also recently started holding a monthly healing service on the second Saturday of every month at 5 p.m. in the sanctuary. The services are led by the healing prayer ministers, but the church’s pastors are there as well.

“We have scripture, song, worship, communion, and then prayer ministers are available after the service to pray with people for as long as they want to stay,” said Barbara Brown, who heads the ministry.

The ministry is through the Francis MacNutt series from the School of Christian Healing.

“We’re in our third year of learning how to heal people through prayer,” said Brown. “Physical healing, spiritual healing, generational healing, social healing… It’s not a quick fix. It’s something that could take quite a while.”

Those who are unable to attend the monthly Saturday service can instead make an appointment with the ministry.

The Healing Ministry came from the Prayer Ministry, said Brown, noting it began about 10 years ago. Every week, about 60 people pray over the church’s prayer list.

“Then we decided we wanted to go a little deeper with healing prayer,” said Brown. “The really intense prayer is the Healing Prayer Ministry, where we take as much time as needed. They may not be healed of something they want — for instance, a physical healing — but whenever you pray with someone, God always shows up, and he’ll do what he wants to do.”

The beautiful thing about healing prayer, Brown said, is that they do see people healed.

“That’s the wonderful part about healing prayer… We’ve seen some healings. We prayed for a woman who had a hip problem, and she was healed of that. We’ve prayed for people who have had cancer, after the treatments, and they’ve been cancer-free. We’ve prayed for a woman whose back problems have been healed. Sometimes people are not healed the way they want to be healed. We rely on God as the Holy Spirit to do the healing.”

Brown emphasized that the healing ministers are not healers themselves, that God is the healer.

“We are not the ones doing the healing. We, as ministers, are only the hands and feet of God. We are just his vessels. This is strictly spiritual — God’s Holy Spirit.”

Brown encourages those in the community, even if healing is not needed, to attend a service.

“Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s very calming and peaceful.”

As for the Blue Christmas service on Friday, the church hopes to help those who need a little extra support, and will maybe find a new family in God and Mariner’s.

“My hope for the Blue Christmas is that people who are struggling this particular season, because of loss or hopelessness, for them to realize that God is the ultimate healer, he is our hope. He will restore hope and joy. No matter what your situation is, there is hope in God. Our hope is in Jesus, who is the ultimate healer.”

“Even if nobody comes, the important thing for me is that community will see that Mariner’s is doing something. My hope is those who need a silent service will come. Those who need a place of peace during the busy holiday, they will find us.”

For more information, about Blue Christmas, contact Lanasa at (302) 539-2204 or PastorKay@aol.com. For more information on the services and programs Mariner’s offers, call (302) 539-9510 or visit marinersbethel.org. Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church is located at 81 Central Avenue in Ocean View.

A 36-year-old woman was in the hospital this week, after having been stabbed and nearly raped on Monday afternoon.

On Monday, Dec. 19, Delaware State Police troopers arrested Temourise O. Taylor, 30, of Selbyville after he allegedly stabbed the woman west of Selbyville after having his sexual propositions refused by her.

Police were called to the area of Baker Road and Blueberry Farm Road after receiving a report of a woman having been stabbed, with the male suspect, identified as Taylor, having fled in a tan Suzuki SUV with a Delaware registration.

Delaware state troopers, and officers from the Selbyville, Frankford and Dagsboro police departments, began a search and were able to locate Taylor on Route 113, south of Daisey Street in Frankford, within 20 minutes.

Police said Taylor and the victim were acquaintances, and that the victim had visited his home to drop off Christmas presents prior to the incident.

According to police, while at the house, Taylor allegedly propositioned the woman numerous times to engage in sexual activities with him and she continuously refused. The two then left the house, with the understanding that the woman would be returned to her home. However, at some point in the journey, police said, she realized they were not driving in the correct direction.

When Taylor parked the vehicle in a secluded area on Blueberry Farm Road west of Selbyville, the victim exited the vehicle and began to walk away, they said. Taylor allegedly followed the victim and grabbed her by the shirt, which caused her to grab him and hit him in the face in an attempt to get free, police said.

According to the DSP, Taylor then allegedly removed a knife he had on his person and began stabbing the victim in her upper torso. Police said the victim was able to flee from Taylor to a truck whose occupants had witnessed the incident and call police. Upon Taylor seeing the truck, police said, he fled the scene in the SUV and was captured a short time later.

The 36-year-old female victim was transported by EMS to Beebe Healthcare, where she was treated and admitted in stable condition.

Taylor was charged with Attempted Murder 1st, Attempted Rape in the First Degree (the maximum sentence for which is equivalent to that Murder in the First Degree) and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $250,000 cash bond.

Police are requesting that anyone who has had similar incidents involving Taylor contact Troop 4 Major Crimes Unit at (302) 856-5850. Information may also be provided by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com. Anonymous tips may be sent by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

The Indian River School District’s major challenges all stem from student enrollment. It’s growing faster than the money and buildings can keep up.

But the school district isn’t focused on building right now, even though the Delaware Department of Education gave them permission to host a major capital improvement referendum for four new buildings/renovations, totaling $74.5 million in local costs.

“The board’s No. 1 concern is current-expense,” said Assistant Superintendent Mark Steele. “If we can’t afford to hire teachers, why build a school and have empty classrooms? The board has a very hard decision to make.”

First, there isn’t enough money to continue what IRSD is already doing. Student enrollment is growing too rapidly, and local tax dollars aren’t keeping up, just to keep the lights on. That’s the purpose of the recently failed (and recently rescheduled) current-expense referendum, to increase property taxes by 49 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

“We have always been one of the best districts in the state for a long time” Steele said, and still kept taxes low. “We’re to the point we really need community support to pass this.”

Secondly, schools are overcrowded. Sussex Central High School students complained about poor circulation in the hallways when the school first opened in 2004. In a rare move, the State allowed SCHS to be built for a larger capacity than was needed at the time. Today, SCHS has around 1,650 students in a 1,500-capactiy building, Steele estimated.

One year before the IRSD realized the financial shortfall of this past autumn, they invited the community to discuss the future of the district. That led to a request for six building projects.

The Delaware Department of Education approved four of the biggest projects, totaling just over $186 million. If the school board approved all of them, the local 40 percent share would be $74.5 million.

Steele described the need for three new buildings and one addition.

“When we were up there that day [at SCHS] … it’s almost like the kids shuffled,” he said. “I guarantee those kids only had five to 10 minutes for lunch” because the cafeteria was so packed.

The SCHS addition ($106.3 million for classrooms, cafeteria and gymnasium) includes an extra $1 million for “extraordinary costs.” The IRSD learned the hard way that major road repairs might accompany construction. If three schools were located on Patriots Way in Georgetown, the Delaware Department of Transportation would likely charge IRSD for two new traffic signals and other road impacts.

“I don’t think people realize that’s what bumped our overage” with the last construction projects, Steele said. IRSD paid several million more dollars than anticipated, all pulled from their local budget, not part of the referendum funds.

The State approves school budgets based on a formula of enrollment and school type. Those costs include furniture and other items to fill the school.

The DOE has approved a 720-student elementary school near Ingram Pond ($28.7 million total) and a 750-student middle school near SCHS ($51.2 million total).

The issue at hand

“These were approved only. Now it’s up to the board and the public to decide if and when we do construction on that,” Steele said.

The board has held little or no public discussion about new buildings. All attention has been on issue No. 1: current expenses.

“We really need to show the public they can trust us and the decisions the board makes are financially-sound discussions,” Steele said. “If we can’t pass it, we’re going to cut significant costs.”

Steele compared the costs of the new buildings to a 20-year mortgage — not a massive lump sum that would spike local tax rates. And the district wouldn’t necessarily do all of the approved projects.

“We might not do any of them,” Steele said.

H.T. Ennis requires no local funds

The IRSD manages the Howard T. Ennis School, which serves all special-needs students in Sussex County. Therefore, a replacement costing about $44.7 million would be all State-funded.

The IRSD doesn’t need to go to referendum for that.

“[Ennis] is a 100-percent State-funded school, which means we don’t pay anything on that,” Steele said. “We’d be crazy not to [approve it].”

Fearn-Clendaniel Architects Inc. was hired to review Ennis. The findings were not good. The 46-year-old building is drastically lacking.

“Conditions are less than ideal,” stated the district’s Ennis report. “Ceilings are low, corridors are narrow, and bathrooms are inadequate. More critical than the physical condition, however, is the drastic overcrowding and lack of space provided by the existing facility. Every area of the site and building is undersized to support the student population and program requirements.”

That’s bad for a regular student population, but considered critical for Ennis’s special population.

“Every available space within the school is overfilled with materials, tools and equipment,” the report said. “The existing school building is radically undersized for the mission it must house.”

Traffic safety, stormwater management and other issues were also mentioned.

The property is too small to handle an addition, so the IRSD is in talks to build on the State-owned Stockley Center property near SCHS.

Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: Stop ahead! Clarksville has a slightly new traffic pattern, with a new stop light at Route 17 and Burbage Road, which replaces the old flashing lights.Drivers should be prepared for a new traffic pattern on Route 17 (Roxana Road), as the new traffic signal at the Burbage Road intersection has been completed and went live on Dec. 16.

Previously, Route 17 traffic had a continuous right-of-way, with a flashing yellow light. Burbage Road traffic stopped at a red flashing light before crossing Route 17.

In 2015, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) determined that a full traffic signal could have prevented eight of 11 car collisions from August 2012 to August 2015.

According to data from 2014, Route 17 had an annual average daily traffic volume of 4,319 vehicles per day (vpd). Burbage had 1,277 or 2,260 on either side of Route 17.

“It is anticipated that the traffic volume … may decrease when the Delaware Route 26 Project is complete. However, given the current lane configuration and the size of the intersection, DelDOT recommends a traffic signal be installed,” the study concluded.

Drivers should be extra cautious at the intersection, as some local residents have warned that they’ve seen other vehicles run the red light, perhaps not noticing the new signal.

A long-planned housing development in Millville may take even longer to get constructed, after the Millville Town Council this week voted unanimously to deny developers a third extension of the Town’s approvals for the Dove Landing project.

For about a decade, Dove Landing has been planned to be built off Burbage Road, but for nearly 10 years, the land has remained just field and forest. Developer Beazer Homes recently requested an 18-month extension of approvals for the project, which should have been adequate to revise their final site plan, post bond and start construction. The council had previously granted two even longer extensions for the project.

Dove Landing’s history begins in 2007, with the town council approving a final site plan, which expires in two years unless substantial construction has taken place. The developer was granted three-year extensions in both 2011 and 2014, which placed the latest deadline for substantial construction to have been completed at Jan. 14, 2017.

Dove Landing is considered unlikely to meet Millville’s definition of substantial construction by that date, so the past approvals are expected to become invalid.

Developers must prove unusual difficulty or hardship in order to receive an extension.

The local real estate market has changed since the Great Recession began in late 2007, which led to many local developers holding off on planned projects and requesting extensions of existing approvals, many of which were granted. Because the housing market has changed radically in the intervening years, Beazer has been re-designing Dove Landing’s layout.

The Millville Planning & Zoning Commission recently reviewed Beazer’s new concept, which could be developed into an official revised final site plan within a few weeks, said Steve Marsh, an engineer with GMB, representing Beazer. Among the changes proposed, the planned condominiums would be eliminated to meet market demand. The road layout would be similar, but the anticipated housing density could decrease.

If the extension had been approved, other permitting agencies would have viewed the changes as a modification, rather than a whole new plan requiring new applications, hearings and approvals. But without an extension, as of Jan. 14, design approval and permitting processes for the project must be restarted from scratch.

The Town of Millville could also cash in Beazer’s infrastructure bond for roads.

But, ultimately, Beazer owns the land and has a right to build there or sell it.

Marsh said Beazer hadn’t wanted to compete with itself, with another Beazer development having been built across the street, at Bishop’s Landing (less of a challenge during the housing boom).

Although Marsh said developers have been busy behind the scenes, council members said they wanted to see more progress on the ground. But Beazer’s Ed Gold said it’s too simplistic to ignore the changes that the past decade and economic downturn have brought.

The council unanimously denied the extension.

Councilman Steve Maneri said he understands the economic downturn in years past, but he hasn’t seen significant construction, apart from the main entrance and a few other elements.

“I think you’ve had enough time,” he said.

Nearly 10 years have passed with very little to show for it, said Mayor Robert “Bob” Gordon and Councilman Steve Small of the project.

Councilwomen Susan Brewer and Valerie Faden said they didn’t feel that, this time, there were any unusual circumstances that were beyond Beazer’s control.

Small said he felt the council should deny the extension, then “hold Beazer’s hand” to make the project happen faster with the new applications.

“Once you grant them final plan approval, they have two years to commence construction,” Code & Building Administrator Eric Evans told the council.

“They were trying to [amend], the way I understand it,” Evans explained of the request for the extension. “Now they have to submit everything all over as new. So, instead of an 18-month extension to break ground, it goes to 24 months.”

Beazer has attempted to sell Dove Landing in the past but never settled on a buyer or reasonable price.

“We’re no different from any other publically-traded company,” Gold said of their responsibility to shareholders when bonds come due.

Town Solicitor Seth Thompson had to redirect the conversation when Small began asking if Gold could promise that Beazer won’t use undeveloped lands to cast votes regarding other properties outside of Dove Landing. (Gold said Beazer will follow all town laws.)

HOA questions Dove impact

Residents of Bishop’s Landing told the council this week that they are concerned with Dove Landing’s impact on their homeowner association.

They said they believe the homeowner association was to be shared between Bishop’s Landing and Dove Landing. Since HOAs are only turned over to homeowners when a majority of houses are occupied, homeowners said they fear more years may pass before Beazer relinquishes HOA control to the residents. Instead of a 400-plus-home Bishop Landing HOA, they’d have to wait for an 800-plus-home dual HOA. Until then, Bishop Landing’s residents can’t really organize or begin saving for road or pond maintenance.

And that’s all outside of the Town’s purview. The Town of Millville only monitors whether people follow the town code. Agreements between neighbors, such as sharing parking spaces or creating an association, aren’t under the Town’s jurisdiction.

But an expired site plan doesn’t automatically affect the residents’ HOA contracts.

“The covenants are still attached to that land. It’s not as if the covenants disappear. It’s a deed restriction. It’s not really something in … our purview,” Thompson said.

Ambulance agreement complete

The final details were nailed down this week for the new Millville Volunteer Fire Company (MVFC) ambulance subscription in Millville. Under the Municipal Wide Discount Ambulance Subscription Service Agreement, every household in town limits will be required to pay a mandatory $35 fee, billed annually on the municipal tax bill.

That agreement covers service to every improved property (household or business), their residents, houseguests and employees, but not business patrons. Whenever covered people are transported by MVFC ambulance, their insurance will be billed first for the $800-plus fee. But the MVFC won’t charge the user the difference between what their insurance pays and the full ambulance fee.

Small voted against the measure and MVFC member Steve Maneri recused himself. Faden abstained from the vote. She said she disagreed with some details but didn’t want to cast a “no” vote that would completely disregard all the work the MVFC has done to address the council’s concerns, which had been heightened by an MVFC officer being charged in May with allegedly embezzling nearly $200,000 from the fire company.

In September, Faden had asked that some bylaws be changed and policies put in writing before Millville approved the contract. Many of the changes, which the MVFC’s membership voted to approve, were not reviewed by a third party, such as an accountant or attorney. Faden also said she felt some other loose ends weren’t put on paper.

She proposed changing to a one-year contract, which MVFC officials said is too restrictive.

“You guys have asked for a quarterly review of our financials … [and any future problems] would give you permission to terminate our agreement. You have asked us to do that, and we have agreed,” said EMS Chief John Watson.

Town Manager Debbie Botchie reminded the council, “[During] the whole process, we were talking a three-year agreement in good faith.” The MVFC hurriedly changed their bylaws to meet the council’s December deadline. Botchie said she understood council members’ concerns but felt they were easily fixed.

Gordon agreed that the contract is a “living document” and there are “pitbulls on this dais” who will help protect the Town in monitoring the MVFC’s financials. He and Brewer both voted in favor of the agreement, resulting in a 2-1-2 vote and its narrow approval.

Local volunteer fire companies are suffering under the burden of increased calls for services but fewer volunteers. The MVFC has also been impacted by the embezzlement scandal. But the MVFC’s membership has since approved many new internal controls, checks and balances.

And more than 98 percent of the stolen funds were recovered, according to MVFC administrative bookkeeper Velicia Melson, who discovered the problem in early 2015 and has been part of the efforts to correct procedural deficiencies. “I would say we’re obviously doing something correct.”

The MVFC is also a volunteer organization, apart from the paid EMTs and Melson.

Watson noted that, under the agreement, Millville residents would be contributing about $35,000 toward a $1.4 million budget for EMS coverage — only a 2.5 percent drop in the bucket.

“We’re trying to protect the community because of the tragic thing that happened to the fire company,” Brewer said.

Watson reminded the group that the MVFC has already pulled the funding out of its own operations to fund two full-time ambulance crews, “as promised … to give our community what we felt they deserved. … We went above and beyond before we had these financial agreements in place.”

In other Millville Town Council news:

• The MVFC got an extra boost of money from Millville’s new impact fee ($500 for each new commercial and residential construction in town). The Town has collected $82,000 in impact fees for fire/ambulance services. The funds are to only be used for outdated capital items (not salaries) used in the MVFC’s daily operations or to purchase items that enhance operations. The MVFC will use the funding to purchase a new SUV command vehicle for leadership to use at emergency scenes.

“It reflects the growth and the services for the fire department,” said Fire Chief Doug Scott. “It’s been great and we really appreciated it.

• Millville Town Hall will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 22, to Monday, Dec. 26, for the Christmas holiday and construction/electrical work in Millville’s new municipal building. Anyone needing immediate assistance during that time can contact Botchie at DBotchie@mvtown.com.

The town council’s next regular meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.

Someone who bought a Powerball ticket at the Goose Creek convenience store in Selbyville hit the jackpot on Saturday, Dec. 17, when the winning ticket, worth $121.6 million, was drawn. At press time, the winner had not yet come forward, and Delaware lottery policy doesn’t require them to publicly reveal their identity in order to claim the prize.

Since the drawing, the mystery surrounding the identity of the winner has grown, particularly in Selbyville and especially at the Goose Creek store. Kristy Muir, general manager of the store, said neither she nor any of her five employees know exactly when the winning ticket was sold.

Muir said that, because of the store’s location, next to the Arby’s on Route 113, the winner could be a local resident, or could just as easily be someone who stopped in for gas on their way to somewhere else.

Either way, Muir said, “It’s definitely exciting. It’s the first time anything like this has happened here,” added Muir, who has worked at the Selbyville Goose Creek store for two years. “It’s big news.” She said the state lottery commission had first notified the Goose Creek corporate office, which in turn contacted the Selbyville store regarding the winning ticket.

Delaware Lottery Director Vernon Kirk acknowledged the cause for excitement around the winning ticket.

“For one lucky winner in Delaware, this holiday season marks the beginning of the start of their life as a multi-millionaire,” said Delaware Lottery Director Vernon Kirk. “This is an incredible life-changing event, and the Delaware Lottery encourages the winner to take the time they need to make the decisions regarding prize claim options, and perhaps consult with a tax accountant or an attorney.”

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million, according to lottery statistics.

The Dec. 17 drawing is the second-highest Delaware jackpot winner on a single ticket. The highest was in 2004, when the winner of the $214.7 million jackpot took the cash option of $116.9 million.

The winning numbers in Saturday’s drawing were 1, 8, 16, 40 and 48, with a Powerball of 10.

The winner will have the option to choose an annuity valued at the full prize figure or the cash value of their share of the jackpot. If the annuity option is chosen, the winner will receive the $121.6 million jackpot annuity, which will be paid over 20 years. If the winner chooses the cash option, they will receive a lump sum payment of $72.1 million.

In May 2013, one of three $50 million Powerball jackpot-winning tickets was also sold in Delaware, at the Super G supermarket located at Lighthouse Plaza Boulevard in Rehoboth Beach, and claimed the cash value of $10,377,750. Since Powerball first began in 1992, Delaware has had a total of nine jackpot winners, which will increase to 10 when the winner from Saturday’s drawing comes forward.

“Our retailer Goose Creek is also a winner today for helping to make this amazing experience happen, and we are pleased to add them to our growing list of lucky retailers,” Kirk added.

Along with the grand-prize winner, two players matched all five white numbers drawn to win $1 million but didn’t match the red Powerball number. Those tickets were sold in California and New York; however, neither player played the Power Play option, which would have increased their winnings to $2 million. Overall, there were 676,912 winners in the drawing who won at least $4 each.

After their recent referendum failed by a mere 20 votes, Indian River School District officials are ready to try again. The school board this week approved holding a second current-expense referendum on Thursday, March 2, (inclement weather date, March 16), in hopes of having at least slightly better success.

If approved, the 49-cent tax increase per $100 of assessed property value would raise an estimated $7,350,000 for the district at a time when student numbers and expenses have jumped.

“We need the referendum because expenses have gone up so much, we can’t cut enough,” said Board Member James “Jim” Fritz.

Meanwhile, the State of Delaware is slashing budgets, which means the Department of Education might need to cut about $15 million in school funding, statewide.

Discussions are still ongoing at the state level, but IRSD Superintendent Susan Bunting said it appears that the IRSD will lose about $900,000 in state funding in next year’s budget. Schools and the DOE found that the simplest cut is to require district to pay another 10 percent of transportation and education sustainment funds. For IRSD, that means paying another $600,000 for busing and $300,000 for educational support.

“It’s going to double our local transportation budget … if the legislators agree to that,” said IRSD Director of Business Jan Steele.

Referendum numbers

The school board is requesting 49 cents of tax per $100 of assessed value, based on the following breakdown:

• 33 cents — Student enrollment growth ($4.95 million total, for teachers, desks and supplies, still needed as student population steadily grows)

• 8 cents — School safety ($1.2 million, for salaries and safety improvements, slightly decreased from the last referendum)

• 8 cents — Transportation, technology, textbooks, student organizations ($1.2 million for new and continuing expenses, slightly increased from the last referendum, to include transportation)

The approval of a second referendum was not a unanimous decision. The “nay” votes once again came from Board Members Heather Statler and Leolga Wright (both of District 3/Millsboro), who in September said they would have preferred a lower price.

Earmarking the funds will help free up other local discretionary monies, Fritz said. It will still take four or five years for the IRSD to replenish its discretionary fund to a comfortable level, said Board Member Rodney Layfield.

“The district needs to take a hard look at expenditures,” Fritz said. “I’m not in favor of cutting any teachers. … This is an opportunity, and we owe it to the public to review our total dollars.”

Bunting had previously said that 10 percent of the IRSD staff could lose their jobs in 2017 if the current-expense referendum doesn’t pass.

This month, the board re-evaluated that statement. Programs and less-essential staff would be cut first. Behind the scenes, IRSD staff are already combing the budget for potential cuts.

“If we’ve got to cut, the last people that will be cut are classroom teaching positions,” said Personnel Director Celeste Bunting. However, the newest teachers may be the first to go, and more senior specialists could step down into those teaching positions.

Another option may be for the teachers or other unions to accept a pay cut. Several administrators said some teachers expressed a willingness to do that, if it would save their coworkers’ jobs. (The paraprofessionals did this in previous years.)

Bunting encouraged a March referendum deadline to be set because most neighboring school districts hire staff in spring. If the worst happens, and layoffs are required, IRSD employees deserve to have a maximum amount of time to job-hunt, Bunting said.

Transparency on everyone’s mind

Decisions on the new referendum were made in a public meeting on Dec. 14. However, the meeting was held as a special meeting in a conference room at district headquarters, rather than as part of a regular meeting at a school, which typically carries more pomp, circumstance and public attention.

That’s why, on Dec. 19, Fenwick Island resident Mark Tingle accused the school board of secrecy. There was no discussion of a referendum at the regular November or December meetings, and the Dec. 14 agenda was vague, apart from listing “Referendum” and a copy of the vote results.

“When does the public get [information]?” Tingle asked. “It’s like it’s all done in secret … and you’ve all voted it through.

He further warned, “You’ve had the luxury of having no one go against you. I think you’re going to have people actively campaign against it. … Good luck getting it though.”

Indeed, there is no audio recording posted online from the Dec. 14 meeting, although Delaware Code now requires all school boards to audio from meetings where votes occurred. Regular board meetings were recently moved to school auditoriums, where the audio is much stronger, and regular-meeting recordings have been posted online within a matter of days.

The teachers union also emphasized the importance of board transparency and oversight.

“I think the board needs to step up also and take part-ownership. The whole board is making changes here. The public wants transparency throughout,” said J.R. Emanuele of the Indian River Education Association (IREA).

The teachers group said they were grateful for more information to address their own misconceptions. Bunting had emailed them a letter to explain the referendum and its consequences more clearly. That also garnered support.

“There is no doubt the next referendum is absolutely needed. The ones who are ultimately affected are the students and the employees,” said Emanuele. “We’re there to help support the next referendum. We’re in the trenches every day with these kids.”

Students also support their schools, having seen the growth firsthand. Sussex Central High School’s student government representative said they’re excited that 100 seniors will have reached voting age by March.

An audit update

The referendum was possibly impacted by an audit report released five days before the vote, in which the Delaware State Auditor of Accounts accused the district of questionable and imprudent spending, including alleged improper spending by former CFO Patrick Miller.

In a recent exit conference, the Auditor’s Office discussed a number of changes with IRSD administrators: more detail in board meeting minutes; new financial policies and staff training; discontinuing use of signature stamps; no IRSD food purchases for any staff member; and more. They also discussed potential reparations of improperly spent funds.

Although it’s common practice, the Auditor’s Office frowns on public funds being used to purchase sympathy, congratulations and retirement cards or gifts. Although the district administrators said they generally feel those are appropriate expenses to reward employee dedication, there may be room for the unions to take over such purchases.

As time goes on, the district will continue checking in with the Auditor’s Office.

Because individual employees cannot be discussed in public, the audit discussion continued in executive session. Afterward, Board President Charles Bireley said that the IRSD itself could not pursue legal action against Miller, even if desired. The Delaware Attorney General holds that power and will be the one that makes that decision.

Coastal Point photos • Submitted: FOP Lodge 16 President Ray Myers, left, and Raffle Chairman Bob Walters, far right, present plaques to G&E manager Butch Davis and Sen. Gerald Hocker, middle.Earlier this month, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 16, out of Bethany Beach, acknowledged the accomplishments of three community members.

At its Dec. 16 monthly meeting, the Lodge took the time to recognize Sen. Gerald Hocker, 12-year-old Skye Best, and Bethany Beach Police Department Sgt. Charles “Chuck” Scharp.

Scharp was recognized for his heroic efforts when he assisted Bethany Beach Public Works employee Sean Ely in saving the life of an 11-year-old boy who almost drowned in Bethany in early October.

“That’s the first time we’ve done an award like that. I’m sure he’s going to be recognized at the valor awards. But since he was part of our FOP we wanted to present a plaque to him and recognize his service to our community,” said FOP Lodge 16 president Ray Myers, noting Scharp’s selfless act epitomizes the dedication law enforcement personnel have to serving their community.

“Mr. Hocker have been doing things for the community for years,” said Myers. “We wanted to recognize him for his support.”

So much money was raised, in fact, that the Lodge was able to award two high school students with scholarships.

Coastal Point photos • Submitted : Myers presents an award of appreciation to Bethany Beach Sgt. Charles Scharp, recognizing his heroic efforts earlier this year when he helped save an 11-year-old who was drowning in the surf.An honorary membership to the Lodge was presented to 12-year-old Skye Best, a local autistic girl who wants to be a police officer when she grows up.

Myers said the Lodge has been growing steadily in the last few years, which gives its members more opportunity to do community outreach.

“When I joined FOP lodge 16 we only had 22 members. Now are up to 87. We’ve been growing,” he said. “Because of that, we’ve been able to do more. Every year we hold a fundraiser and we donate the money that was raised to local charities or use it for scholarships.”

In the spring of 2017, Myers said the Lodge hopes to hold a barbecue fundraiser at Millville Volunteer Fire Company.

“We want to give back to the community,” Myers said simply.

In the past the Lodge has helped Delaware Breast Cancer; Justin’s Beach House; Delaware Special Olympics; Home of the Brave II; Atlantic General Hospital; Delaware Cops; Compassionate Care Hospice; Delaware Toys for Tots; Lord Baltimore Elementary School; Aubrey Spicer Fund; Delaware Police Memorial Fund; Easter Seals of Delaware; Michelle Murphy Funds; Delaware Girl Scouts; Polar Bear Plunge; Baby Lowe Fund; Angel Break; Camp Barnes Fundraiser; and Vogel’s Cancer Fund.
Coastal Point photos • Submitted: Ray Myers presents Skye Best, a local 12-year-old girl with an honorary FOP membership and baseball cap. Best hopes to be a police officer when she grows up.
The Lodge helps with a number of local events, including traffic control for 5ks in Bethany Beach, packing meals at Mountaire for Thanksgiving for Thousands and Thanksgiving at Christmas. During Special Olympics Delaware Summer Camp, Lodge members help provide overnight security.

This holiday, the Lodge took out an advertisement pledging to support and cooperation to law enforcement, and recognizing their courage and dedication.

“It was just letting more local police know that we support them and what they do,” said Myers. “To let them know that if there’s anything we can do to help them, to let us know.”

Myers, a retired U.S. Marshal for the Department of Justice, said the Lodge has members from local municipal and state law enforcement agencies, as well as members who have retired from federal agencies such as the FBI and DEA.

Active duty or retired, the men and women in law enforcement dedicate their lives to serving the community, said Myers, and they will continue to do so in this community.

“A lot people in law-enforcement have made it their life’s work to protect their community and to serve their community. To do for others, while many times, disregarding their own personal safety, just a Sgt. Scharp did,” he said. “I found that [even though they’re retired] these guys, they still want to give. It’s a way of life for them. And we’re looking for ways to give back to the community and show the community that the vast majority of law enforcement personnel are every day people trying to do a job to help protect the society we live in.”

When Bob and Ellen Chaisson decided to retire to Lewes 17 years ago, they had never visited the region before. They wanted a nice place to live, but one that was still close enough to travel to Maryland, where they had lived for 20 years.

“A few years after moving to Plantations East near Lewes, we were still traveling back to Maryland and to Johns Hopkins for our physicians,” Bob Chaisson said. “One of my doctors recommended I start seeing a local cardiologist to monitor my heart condition.”

Bob Chaisson had a silent heart attack in 1994 and has been closely monitored ever since. He was referred to Kenneth Sunnergren, M.D., PhD., a cardiologist affiliated with Beebe Healthcare.

“I had always gone back to Johns Hopkins and had connections there, but I wanted to have someone locally in case something happened,” he said.

Bob Chaisson meets with Sunnergren twice a year. About two years ago, he fell ill with pneumonia. He noticed a heavy feeling in his chest and was admitted to Beebe Healthcare for a couple days.

Earlier this year, he felt a similar heavy feeling in his chest while he was walking the couple’s dog.

“We thought it might be pneumonia again, so we called Dr. Sunnergren and made an appointment,” said Ellen Chaisson.

Sunnergren performed a cardiogram and saw subtle changes in Bob Chaisson’s heart. However, to know for sure, he recommended a cardiac catheterization. Bob and Ellen Chaisson agreed to the procedure and made the appointment for Oct. 20.

The day before the scheduled procedure, Bob Chaisson again had a heavy feeling in his chest. He felt ill and was having trouble breathing. He took prescribed nitroglycerin, and it didn’t help. After that didn’t work, Ellen Chaisson called 911.

“We thought for sure he was having a heart attack, but when we got to the hospital, they told us it was just an ‘event,’” Ellen said. “We stayed overnight, and Dr. Sunnergren met us the next morning to do the cath.”

After looking at Bob Chaisson’s heart using the catheterization technology, Sunnergren knew Bob needed a bypass.

“I knew he would need surgery, but I also knew that he had connections with Johns Hopkins and may want to be transferred,” Sunnergren said. So, he and Amy Bradshaw, RT(R)(CV), a registered cardiovascular-interventional radiographer, put Bob Chaisson on a balloon pump that would last three to five days, until he would need surgery.

“Bob and I talked, and we called our kids. We had a family meeting, and most everyone thought we should move him to Johns Hopkins, where he had been treated before,” Ellen Chaisson recalled.

Then Sunnergren introduced the Chaisson family to Dr. M. Ray Kuretu, board-certified thoracic surgeon and medical director of Cardiac Surgery at Beebe.

“Dr. Kuretu was so impressive. He was soft-spoken, but so kind, and I could tell he was incredibly knowledgeable and respected among the staff,” Bob Chaisson said.

The Chaissons decided to stay at Beebe Healthcare, where Bob Chaisson would have a quadruple bypass surgery.

“As soon as we made the decision to stay, the gears locked into motion; it was really incredible to see how the team worked seamlessly together,” Bob Chaisson said. “We found out later that if we had done the air transport to Johns Hopkins, the surgeon I would have had there was actually trained by Dr. Kuretu!”

Kuretu served as both an attending surgeon and assistant professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia for more than 28 years. He has performed more than 8,000 surgeries in his career, and as director of cardiothoracic fellowships trained more than 400 surgeons.

“We were very impressed with Dr. Kuretu — such a quiet and unassuming man,” Ellen Chaisson said. “It was never pushed on us to stay at Beebe. It was a decision we were able to make with all the information we had. And, it was definitely the right decision.”

“Everyone at Beebe was amazing — from the food-service workers who would bring my meals — to the nurses in ICU, the physician assistants with Cardiac Surgery, the surgery team, the home care team and, of course, Dr. Kuretu, who we now consider a personal friend,” said Bob Chaisson, who recently met up with some of the team who performed his surgery and took care of him at Beebe.

“I was in the hospital for six days, and during that time, I met the most impressive group of people. Every single person was specialized in their field, and everyone was at the top of their game.”

It was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where Bob Chaisson spent five days following surgery, that he met Taryn Zimmerman, Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and several other nurse team members.

“It takes teamwork within the team at Beebe and within the family to have a successful recovery,” said Zimmerman, who is also a member of Beebe’s rapid response team. “I find that the cardiac patients are some of the most appreciative. They have a hard recovery after surgery, and it takes a lot of work. It is great to see that Bob is doing so well.”

Bob and Ellen Chaisson said they would easily make the same decision to stay at Beebe again. “We tell our friends and neighbors how well we were treated, and while we hope never to have such a need again, we would definitely decide to use Beebe again,” Bob Chaisson said.

“It will be a special holiday for our family this year knowing that Bob is healthy,” Ellen Chaisson said. “It will also be a special February for us when we celebrate our 57th anniversary. I think we will just enjoy each other and be thankful.”

For more information about Cardiac & Vascular Services at Beebe Healthcare, call the cardiac nurse navigator at 1-844-316-3334, email cardiacnavigator@beebehealthcare.org, or go to https://www.beebehealthcare.org/cardiac-vascular-services.

Last month, a stolen car was recovered by Ocean View Police Department after conducting a routine vehicle registration check.

On Nov. 25, at a little after midnight, an OVPD officer, while on patrol, ran the tags of a 1998 green Honda Civic with Delaware registration at the Royal Farms on Atlantic Ave.

“They conducted a vehicle inquiry on the tag and the vehicle came back stolen out of Georgetown Police Department,” said Cpl. Rhys Bradshaw. “The officer was able to stop the vehicle and took the subject into custody without any issues.”

William E. Lindemon IV, 41, who has in the past been sought for burglary and theft of a firearm, according to police, was the driver of the stolen vehicle.

“It was reported stolen out of Georgetown, so they took custody of the vehicle, and had it towed back to their police department.”

Ocean View Police Department charged Lindemon with possession of stolen property, a felony offense.

“He also had two active warrants out of Sussex County Court of Common Pleas. He was committed to [Sussex Correctional Institute],” Bradshaw added.

Bradshaw said Ocean View officers routinely run plates while they patrol as a way to deter crime.

“It’s also good to be seen,” he said. “You never know late at night who’s in your town. It’s nice to know. With how we patrol here — I know 98 percent of the people in this town. We like to know who’s coming through our town at night.”

Coastal Point photos • File photo: The start to a previous Exercise Like the Eskimos event. For the sixth straight year, local residents can ring in the New Year with the Hair of the Dog 5K/10K, and for the 21st year in a row, they can follow it up with the Leo Brady Exercise like the Eskimos Plunge into the Atlantic Ocean.

The downtown Bethany Beach-based event is set to get underway on Sunday, Jan. 1, with the race starting off at Parkwood Street and Atlantic Avenue, and ending at the Bethany Beach Bandstand.

Hundreds of runners from all age groups and experience levels are expected, to compete on the family friendly and “festive” course.

The first 350 runners to complete the race will receive official finishing medals to go along with both overall and age group awards.

The post-race party will be held at Mango’s on the Bethany Beach Boardwalk, with the race living up to its name and offering free Shock Top and Michelob Ultra beer, as well as family-friendly refreshments such as fruit, muffins and items from the grill.

DJ Padraig will be on site to provide the music, with age groups awards being given out for first place overall male, first place overall female, first place overall male and female for the Master’s Division, and first through third place awards for age groups from 15-19 all the way through the 70 plus division.

In addition to the “Hair of the Dog,” racers are even encouraged to bring their dog to run along side and ring in the new year with them. The age group awards will include a 5K category for first through third place overall dog and owner.

After breaking a sweat with the race starting at 8:45 a.m., and awards presentation at 11 a.m., participants can then cool off with the Leo Brady Exercise like the Eskimos Plunge scheduled for 12 p.m. right from the Bethany Beach Bandstand.

Pre-registration fees for the 5K were set at $35, $45 for the 10K, and $50 for both the 5K and 10K.

All proceeds from the event will go towards benefitting the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF) — an organization formed in 2001 by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce that “manages and distributes funds to qualified organizations serving our local community.”

Race day registration and packet picket are scheduled for 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the heated tent on the Bethany Beach Bandstand, right before the National Anthem begin at 8:35 a.m.

For more information on the event, or to register online, visit www.qrfc.org or call the QRCF at 302-537-7723.

Coastal Point • File Photo: The Fenwick Freeze creates a splash.Good news, Fenwick Freeze fans! This year’s freeze — technically a dip in ocean waters whose temperatures are hovering in the mid-40s — will be 90 minutes later.

That means New Year’s revelers will have a bit longer to drink some coffee and pull their swimsuits out of the bottom of their dressers. This year’s swim will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1. Swimmers will gather on the beach at Bayard Street, according to Rebecca McWilliams, chairman of the town’s Beach Committee.

McWilliams, who has organized the swim since its inception 13 years ago, said although Fenwick’s winter swim might not be as big as those in neighboring beach towns, its charm lies in its simplicity “It’s kind of a local thing,”she said. “It’s the same people that do it every year.” McWilliams said many of the 150 or so swimmers have participated with their families since the very first one.

Preregistration for the Fenwick Freeze can be completed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 31 at Fenwick Island’s town hall. The fee for preregistration is $20 per person. Swimmers can also register the day of the swim at the Bayard Street location, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., for $25. Each swimmer will receive a commemorative long-sleeved t-shirt.

For the past 12 years, proceeds from the swim have benefitted the Fenwick Island Beach Patrol, and this year is no exception. Beach patrol captain Tim Ferry said the funds help the 30-member lifeguard squad with a number of activities, including local, regional and national lifeguard competitions.

Ferry said the funds help defray the costs of travel, lodging and registration for the competitions, which can be as far away as California. Ferry, who has been recovering from shoulder replacement surgery, said he is happy to be able to “start things off” at the swim, as he has for many years.

In addition to the FIBP, Sussex County Paramedics will receive part of the proceeds from the swim. Ferry said the Fenwick Freeze is a “secondary event” to the town’s annual bonfire on the beach held during the summer season. About 1,000 people attend the bonfire event, Ferry said.

McWilliams said there “might” be a bonfire during the Jan. 1 swim, depending on weather conditions.

The swim itself is generally held no matter what the temperature or wind factor. McWilliams said the “swim” is actually a “dunk” in which most enter the ocean up to their knees and then run back out to waiting blankets and warm clothing. While she admitted the whole concept is a little nutty, she added that “for some reason, we keep doing it.”

For more information on the Fenwick Freeze, call the town hall at 539-3011. Entry forms can be downloaded from the town web site, www.fenwickisland.delaware.gov.

It doesn’t take a biology degree to enjoy the beauty of the local rivers and bays. So the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB) created a simplified scientific report so the average Joe can comprehend what’s happening inside the bays.

The 2016 State of the Bays report answers questions important to the general public. What does the everyday person want to know about his or her habitat?

“You don’t wanna put something out that’s only for the scientific community. You want them ... to use this document, whether they take it to their homeowner association, their community,” said Katie Goerger, CIB communications specialist. “It kind of gives the citizens the ability to advocate for themselves and gives them the scientific information to back that up.”

Released every five years, the State of the Bays gives the public a comprehensive look, but in bite-sized pieces.

“Generally, we’re trying to see trends. We’re trying to see the current status and then the current trend,” said Sally Boswell, Education and Outreach Coordinator. “It’s quite a lot of work to track that many indicators and the report on them ... We have the raw data and then we have to interpret it [with graphs and charts], so we can visualize what the data is saying.”

“We’ve still got quite an uphill battle,” Goerger said. “We’re making big strides in some places, other places not so much. It’s a difficult bear to overcome simply because there are so many cogs involved. I wouldn’t say that it’s a bad report, but it definitely indicates that we need to double down.”

This report is available for citizens, legislators and anyone else interested in the watershed. They can use it to make decisions or inspire change in their neighborhoods.

“People will get really upset about a new development that’s coming in, or they band together in opposition to something, and often the concerns are legitimate, but ... it turns out to be too little, too late,” Boswell said. “So we’re trying to give them ... the tools so they can look at data that can give credence to the concerns they have.”

It’s all about getting citizens and officials involved in the watershed in which they live.

“It’s a good way to get people involved in the science without them having to take a class, going to a lecture. It’s a nice thing to keep in your house,” Goerger said.

This is the second comprehensive State of the Bays report issued by the CIB, a national estuary program founded in 1994. Creating the report is a long process. It starts with CIB volunteers, on-staff scientists and State scientists gathering endless data over five years, finding trends and writing the actual 70-page document.

This November, the CIB studied 35 environmental indicators to grade six major categories. Scores could be Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good or Very Good. There is no overall grade, like a C or D average, “because everything is so different … we kinda feel it would be disingenuous” Goerger said.

However, nothing in the watershed scored above average. Two statuses improved, two worsened, and two stayed the same:

• Watershed Condition downgraded to just above “Very Poor” (New development has filled a solid 7.8 square miles of land, pushing Sussex County’s impervious surface past the critical 10 percent tipping point).

• Climate downgraded to “Poor” (Greenhouse gases are bringing about higher temperatures that throw off the chemistry of delicate saltwater estuaries and cause flooding).

• Water Quality increased to “Fair” (Still poor in some areas, water quality is improving with better nutrient and algae concentrations).

• Managing Nutrient Pollution increased to “Fair” (there is slightly less point source pollution draining directly from pipes into the bays, atmospheric nitrogen loads are within healthy limits, and phosphorus is improving in some areas).

• Human Health Risks remained “Fair” (The open waters are safer, but much of the bays and tributaries still carry pathogens that can cause severe illness in swimmers and chemicals that contaminate the fish).

• Living Resources remained “Poor to Fair” (Duck, crab and marsh grass populations are struggling, although bald eagles, ospreys and hard clams are stable or improving).

“The population in the watershed more than doubled between 1990 and 2010 when the last census was conducted,” the report stated. “Population growth is driving many of the changes that are impacting the Inland Bays.”

Thousands of years of estuarine life now support a thriving tourist industry, but are struggling to survive in a land of development, where people, understandably want to be part of that environment.

“There’s a lot going on. I just think it illustrates the fact that our area is growing ... and all of that does have an effect on our bays,” Goerger said. “For instance, the nutrient pollution — it’s positive, but it’s still in an unhealthy area. It’s simply going to take time. There are pollutants and nutrients in our groundwater that could take decades [to measure or remove]. In a field like this, you’re not going to get immediate results.”

There is some good news. Water quality seems to be improving in the open bay areas, thanks to an 11-percent increase of water moving through the Indian River Inlet.

“There is reason for hope for our bays. Things are getting better slowly, and if we continue on a path of advocating for our bays,” Goerger said. “Right now, there’s a pretty good push to get septics removed and get people going into central sewer.”

“There are some signs of progress. Compared to five years ago, concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus have moderately improved,” the report said. “Roughly half of the sites now meet nutrient standards. Only a third did previously.”

That’s an improvement, but not exactly good.

Nutrient and algae concentrations are improving modestly, but water clarity and dissolved oxygen have not.

Salt marshes have drowned and been downgraded.

“Activities to protect natural habitats in the watershed have nearly stalled ... salt marshes are disappearing at higher rates,” the report said.

The CIB called for more funding, incentives or regulation for conservation, wetland protections, nutrient management.

Better informed, people can get involved in big or little ways. It all makes an impact, picking up trash, volunteering for field studies, testing water, counting horseshoe crabs, serving on volunteer boards or more.

“We need the citizens to come together and advocate for their watersheds, the creeks in their backyard,” Goerger said. “They can get involved. The first step is education.”

The full report is online at www.inlandbays.org/about-the-bays/state-of-the-inland-bays-2016.

Coastal Point • Kerin Magill: Cindy Stevens and C.J. Mears display some of the produce they have grown through aquaponic farming.At the entrance to a greenhouse at Bearhole Farms near Roxana sits a blue tank about the size of a small hot tub. Orange-finned flashes flit around the bottom and a pump emits a constant thrum.

“That’s the engine,” says Bear Hole proprietor Cindy Stevens. The heart of the engine, which produces a perpetual harvest of 3,000 lettuce plants inside the 1,700-square-foot greenhouse, is fish. About 350 koi, common goldfish and channel catfish, to be precise.

In addition to swimming around the tank, the fish eat... and then when that food turns to fish waste, it is released into a system of channels that run under the lettuce plants, watering and feeding the plants. It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship.

“You can’t under-water or over-water and you can’t over-fertilize or under-fertilize,” said C.J. Mears, who is partnering with Stevens in the Bearhole aquaponics operation.

“We are farmers in every sense of the word, but we don’t need a tractor,” Mears said. “In fact, we don’t even need dirt.” Even though the lettuce is grown in nothing but water fertilized with fish waste, it uses one-tenth of the water used in soil-based gardening, and even less water than a hydroponics operation.

Instead of soil, the lettuce plants float on foam mats. No pesticides or chemicals are used to grow the lettuce. As the water becomes enriched with “fish poo” it is processed through a moving bed “bioreactor.” Solids are removed from the water by “swirling the nitrogen” out, Mears said. “It is like a fast moving composting system,” he explained.

Then water, rich with the remaining nutrients from the fish waste, is transferred to the plants. The plants also serve as a natural filter, preparing the water to return to the fish tanks, where the cycle begins all over again.
Coastal Point • Submitted: Koi, goldfish and catfish are the ‘engine’ at the Bearhole Farms aquaponic lettuce operation.
Even the fish themselves cycle out of the farm operation — once they reach a certain size, they are sold and replaced with smaller fish. Stevens and Mears are also in the process of having the sludge certified as organic fertilizer, which would allow them to sell it for use on farm crops. Stevens already uses it on plants in her garden center.

“It’s just another by-product of the system,” Mears said.

Still in its first year, Bearhole Farms has already found a steady market for its lettuce in local restaurants, Stevens said. A challenge initially was trying to assess the market, as far as which varieties would turn out to be the most popular. For a time, she said, Bear Hole Farms’ Swiss chard was so popular she considered only selling that variety.

Ultimately, she decided to grow a variety of lettuces, from Swiss chard to romaine, as well as a mix of complementary greens that grow in the beds together, similar to a wildflower seed mix in a garden.

Stevens said she is hoping to try “micro-greens” soon — which are seedlings of a variety of greens and vegetables. Since lettuces and greens are cool weather crops, they are a natural extension of Stevens’ warm weather business, Natural Creations landscaping. Having also run restaurants, Stevens said producing lettuce for area eateries seems like a natural progression for her. “I feel like I’m going back home,” working with restaurants, she said. “It’s like a full circle.”

Mears, on the other hand, comes to aquaponics from a more technical background, having retired as a food safety professional, specializing in food-borne pathogens.

The two have been friends for years, and were introduced to aquaponics by mutual friends who own a large facility in Hilliard, Fla. “We were both amazed,” the first time they visited their friend’s Traders Hill Farms, Stevens said. They were sold not only on the process, but also on the quality of lettuce produced. Not only does it taste better than conventionally grown lettuce, the two say, but it also has a shelf life of four weeks if stored properly. “It’s unbelievable,” Stevens said. “The restaurants that use our product are very pleased with it.”

Mears said he feels their business has great potential for growth, as the farm-to-table movement begins to take hold in the area, as it has in other regions across the country. “We’re hoping we’re in the right position,” he said.

With advice from their friend Angela TenBroeck at Trader Hill Farms, Stevens and Mears built their own system — on a much smaller scale than Trader Hill Farms, but using the same principles. The gravity-based system is quite simple, consisting of two pumps: one water pump and one air pump.

For animal-lover Stevens, one of the most stressful parts of setting it up was getting the huge fish tank just right. At first, she said, her catfish were dying at an alarming rate, but she resolved that and “in the last four or five months, we’ve only lost one goldfish.” The water in the tank is tested three times a week for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates to ensure the health of the “engine.”

Through the winter months, the Bearhole greenhouse continues to produce lush heads of bright green lettuce. With a seed-to-harvest time of 45 days, the little greenhouse produces 12,000 heads of lettuce in a year, cycling through the growing process four times.

Soon, Stevens and Mears will begin offering their lettuce to retail customers, with a monthly market day at the farm. The markets will begin Saturday, Jan. 7 and the two hope to continue them on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition to their lettuces and greens, they hope to offer fresh local eggs and local honey, adding other items seasonally.

The farm is located at 37765 Bearhole Road, Selbyville. For more information on the lettuce farm or the market, call Cindy Stevens at Natural Creations, 302-436-4856 or 302-542-1885.

Dredging is once again in the Assawoman Canal’s future. To improve watercraft navigation, Delaware State Parks has officially requested state and national permits for 3.94 miles of maintenance dredging anytime in the next 10 years.

Officials hope to begin in January, finishing the northern canal (Route 26 to White Creek) by the boating season.

Northern areas especially need attention for shoals building up around Bethany Beach Loop Canal and the Ocean View Marina.

“We have funding available to do the mechanical dredging … on the north end, so we’re gonna go ahead and do that,” said Charles “Chuck” Williams II, lead planner for Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Shoreline and Management Section.

The estimated cost is $75,000 to $100,000 for about 10,000 cubic yards of material. The machinery would sit on state-owned banks and reach into the water.

Williams doesn’t expect the newly-built Assawoman Canal Trail park to be majorly impacted near the northern staging area. The Division would repair any damage along the mile-long trail. Soil would temporarily sit on the banks to dry out before being trucked away.

Surveys haven’t begun south of Route 26 to Jefferson Creek and Little Assawoman Bay, where dredging requires a hydraulic cutterhead barge in the water. Southern dredging must be written into a future state budget, estimated $1 million to $2 million for 24,000 cubic yards of soil.

According to diagrams of the existing canal bottom, the seabed slopes down to a triangular point. The box-cut dredge would scoop three feet deep, straight down the middle, 35 feet wide, allowing more room for watercraft to pass. Some natural sloughing would occur to smooth the banks.

DNREC underwent a similar permitting process around 2004, with dredging ranging from 2006 to 2010. The state permit is five years, and federal permit is 10 years. It’s a straightforward project that shouldn’t have trouble reapplying for an extension, he said.

The permitting process was “pretty easy compared to the first one [in 2004] … because there were minimal objections this time around,” Williams said. Opposition had been previously spearheaded by a group of Ocean View citizens, who inspired about 200 letters, compared to about four or five this year, he said.

In reviewing the canal, Williams said people are “realizing that there’s minimal habitat, usage and value of the waterway.” The fisheries impact will not be substantial, the application suggested.

Sloughing of the banks is a bigger concern, due to storms and high tides, not so much boating, Williams said. But Delaware doesn’t have millions of dollars to install riprap or other erosion controls.

The dredged soils (mostly sand and some silt) will be trucked or pumped to a refuse site already owned by DNREC, south of Ocean View. (The Fresh Pond site used previously is currently full of material that needs to be re-graded and spread out.) A pipe still rests in the bottom of Jefferson Creek, ready to pull sediment away from the southern dredging area.

There will be no “beneficial reuse” of the soil, although the sand could have gone to the beaches, Williams said. But DNREC was “content to let those projects play out,” as planned without introducing new soils.

“Siltation curtains would be installed both upstream and downstream of the work zone to minimize the spread of sediment within the canal and adjoining waters,” the application stated. “Any vegetation extending over mean high water that is impacting navigation would be removed using the handheld equipment.”

Public notice was given in October by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District.

The Delaware State Police are still seeking a suspect in a Frankford-area home invasion that occurred on Christmas Eve.

On. Saturday, Dec. 24, at around 6:30 a.m., three suspects forcefully broke into a home through the front door and awoke a 19-year old male victim and an 18-year-old male victim, who were reportedly sleeping in separate bedrooms

According to police, the two male victims were confronted by the suspects armed with hammers and were dragged out of their beds and into the living room as the suspects searched the house.

“The investigation revealed that the subjects knew each other,” said M. Cpl. Gary Fournier, Public Information officer for the Delaware State Police.

However, after seeing car lights, the trio fled the residence and drove away in a silver Chevrolet Suburban, taking with them a large power metal grinder and an undisclosed amount of cash. The victims were uninjured during the invasion.

Through their investigation, the Delaware State Police were able to identify Theodore Wilson, 21, of Dagsboro, and Kevin H. Jesneck, 38, of Ocean View, as two of the three suspects. Troopers were able to take both Jesneck and Wilson into custody without incident at Jesneck’s home. At that same time, police said, troopers recovered the power tool that was reported stolen.

The two suspects were transported back to Troop 4 where they were arrested for home invasion, conspiracy in the second degree, offensive touching and criminal mischief. They were arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $15,000 secured bond. Fournier said that the state police could not comment as to whether the two men have prior criminal records.

The third suspect involved in the incident has yet to be identified and the investigation is on-going.

“There have not been any new developments into the identity of the third suspect. We continue to seek information from the public,” said Fournier on Dec. 27.

As for citizens looking to deter or prevent home invasions, Fournier said, “there are no known ways to prevent home invasions as a majority of them are crimes against people who are targeted by the suspects.”

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Detective M. Doughty at (302) 752-3794. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

Numbers are settling into place as South Bethany plans its police station expansion, which has a tentative price tag of $232,450 (including an $18,000 contingency fund). The money is available, spread over the next two budget cycles, said Mayor Pat Voveris on Dec. 9.

The price estimate has already increased with inflation and with an extra 39-by-2 square feet, on top of the 936 square-foot addition.

By this spring, the design should be completed and put out to bid. Construction could run from September to the end of 2017.

Police Chief Troy Crowson described a variety of issues that need to be addressed, simply to avoid liability, like separating detainees from evidence, civilians, police officers and each other.

Pat Ryan (Ryan Architecture, LLC) created a preliminary floor plan and construction cost update. The new rooms would house a break room, processing room, conference room and private office. More importantly, it would eliminate the current “multipurpose room” that ineffectively serves as an armory/kitchen/locker room.

Councilmember Sue Callaway said she completely supports the upgrade, although she was previously on the fence.

“It sounds like a lot of money, but in doing renovations ... it’s going to cost a lot more when you do it later,” Callaway said. “I’m of the mindset that we move forward with the two feet now.”

The councilmembers generally approved of the $218,900 base price, plus $12,800 for two-foot expansion and $750 for a detainee bathroom. They’ll seek grants for future safety enhancements.

They voted to begin with $29,000 for engineering by Ryan Architecture and a $3,500 soil boring test.

The Budget & Finance Committee reported that ongoing costs, like operations, depreciation and insurance would cost about $5,500.

A few residents questioned the size of these new rooms, but Ryan reminded them that the drawings weren’t to scale, and SBPD would benefit from a little extra room to accommodate future technology, or just to be able to fit all their staff and guests in the conference room.

In 2016, Crowson said 82 people have already been processed for various reasons, like warrants, drugs, overdue fines. In 2015, that number was 29.

“Whether it’s one person, 82 people or 100 people, you’re assuming certain risks or liability for the way we have our current building,” Crowson said.

They’re operating as best they can, but Crowson suggested this is a lawsuit waiting to happen. And there’s not enough room to simply reconfigure the existing space. An addition is necessary.

He and Ryan answered other questions, reminding the public that this information is online.

As resident and supporter Dennis Roberts said, “Liability is going to cost a whole hell of a lot more than $152,000.”

Details and presentations are online at www.southbethany.org/pdf_pdbuilding.php.

In other South Bethany news:

It’s time to continue discussing flooding and sea level rise, the Planning Commission encouraged. Chairman Dick Oliver explained why Town Council should commission Phase 2 of the Adaptation Study, costing around $35,000.

Professional data could help the Town plan future investments, like street maintenance. Importantly, the report would include “trigger points” telling the Town when to begin mitigation actions to protect homes and infrastructure. Plus, South Bethany could qualify for grants for mitigation projects, plus help the region achieve a longer-term sea level rise strategy.

Immediately, the Planning Commission also encouraged Town Council to start spending the money previously budgeted to install backflow valves at storm drains leading to the canals; to consider allowing higher bulk heads; and to delay major street modifications pending the results of the Phase 2 study.

Resilience planning started around 2011, with extra impetus from Hurricane Sandy flooding and wave action. Some mitigation efforts were already written into the town’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan. The primary emphasis is sea level rise over the next 50 years, most likely 1 to 1.7 feet, Oliver said.

• With a majority of public support, Canal Drive will get more street lights. In autumn, a lighting survey was sent to 116 properties in the Canal Drive area. Of the 81 responses received, 58 were “For lights,” and 23 were “Against lights.”

“I think it’s pretty clear the majority of the homeowners that responded are in favor of more lighting,” Callaway said.

There will be shields and other measures to prevent light pollution into nearby houses.

• With new rules coming out for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, Town Council passed a resolution to acknowledge the new state and federal laws. Delaware General Assembly expressly preempted municipalities from adopting ordinances to restrict or regulate drone usage.

• South Bethany Town Council’s next regular meeting is Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.

Delaware can take its next step forward with shellfish aquaculture. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has finally approved an expedited process to approve aquaculture leases in the Rehoboth, Indian River and Little Assawoman bays. In 2017, aquaculturalists could begin growing oysters and clams on lease sites in the inland bays.

On Dec. 21, DNREC Secretary David Small approved a Statewide Activity Approval (SAA) that allows for speedy permitting in 343 pre-approved acres, rather than the original 442 acres designated as shellfish aquaculture development areas (SADAs) in 2014.

Little Assawoman Bay sites approved under the SAA process would also be limited to growing only hard clams.

“Approval of this process addresses concerns we have heard from waterfront property owners around the Inland Bays, and still allows certainty for small business interests who wish to pursue growing oysters and clams in the Inland Bays,” DNREC Sec. David Small stated.

Officially, the Division of Fish & Wildlife made the application to the Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands Section in February. At pubic request, a public hearing followed in June.

However, most of the public’s major concerns weren’t actually up for debate, DNREC stated. Most public comments were outside the realm of the SAA, instead focusing on the original Regulation 3801, which allowed shellfish aquaculture almost anywhere in the Inland Bays, but encouraged watermen to lease the 442 one-acre tracts within the eight original SADAs. (This month’s SAA allows for expedited permits, but limits those SADAs to 343 acres.)

Until DNREC amends the actual Regulation 3801, it’s not currently in the agency’s power to remove PVC markers or permanently restrict certain acreage from potential shellfishing.

In fact, watermen can still request almost any corner of the bays (minus those off-limits for high bacteria counts), if they’re willing to put the money and effort into individual permit requests.

“The Department finds that it is reasonable to expect that shellfish aquaculturalists should select the SAA SADA tracts before any other tracts,” since the SAA allows for an expedited permitting on 343 acres, the order states.

But DNREC will likely consider amending Regulation 3801 in the future, after cages are actually put in the bays, with at least one year to study actual practice.

However the original Regulation 3801 carries the weight of law. Recent SAA changes to the program can only discourage, but not change, the Regulations.

“DNREC had an obligation to develop a process for implementing the law allowing aquaculture, and this approach does so in an equitable manner,” Small stated. “This is a major step in moving the program forward.”

“Under today’s action, DNREC is also committed to a future review of the regulations, including the potential permanent removal of some SADA areas, and the requirement for marking the one-acre tracts with white PVC pipe,” the order states. “Both of these provisions are included in the regulation and unable to be addressed by the establishment of a SAA for shellfish aquaculture.

Watermen can expect to begin lease applications with the Division of Fish & Wildlife after the federal permitting process concludes in spring of 2017. Delaware already had permits, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is streamlining its own nationwide aquaculture permitting process, when the current five-year cycle expires in spring.

The Corps also wanted Delaware to solidify its plans amidst the public controversy, said Ed Bonner of the Corps’ Philadelphia District.

Property owner associations and residents had protested creation of an aquaculture industry in the shallows where they paddleboard, waterski and sail. After the first round of complaints, DNREC’s has removed Beach Cove’s 24 acres (southeast of Indian River Bay) and 75 acres of the Little Assawoman, nearest to shore. Those SADAs were removed from the SAA’s expedited permitting process.

In 2013, Delaware State Legislature unanimously instructed DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife to create an aquaculture industry and develop regulations. After the public process was complete and the regulations adopted in 2014, many property owners near Ocean View, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island noticed the proposed maps and came out to protest in subsequent public hearings.

Now, near Fenwick Island, property owners appreciate the changes, but still want more. The Coalition for Little Assawoman Bay represents about nine housing developments in demanding a responsible approach to aquaculture. The homeowners won’t be comfortable until those 99 ignored SADA acres are permanently removed from consideration.

Moreover, they object to the physical property markers, calling the sea of PVC pipes a navigational hazard.

“Installation of up to 172 6-inch wide, PVC marker poles extending at least 5 feet above the water surface remains a possibility and a danger,” stated Diane Maddex, a coalition co-founder from Water’s Edge homeowner association. “Kayakers, paddleboarders and novice sailors can’t be expected to maneuver safely around obstacles like these.”

Coalition members felt those PVC pipes ignore DNREC’s own mandate to create minimal impact.

Some commercial fishermen had agreed, citing the expense of surveying and installing the poles.

But, earlier in the aquaculture process, DNREC “ultimately decided against changing the marking requirements out of concern for protecting human safety and property,” the Order states.

DNREC also needs to step up monitoring of water quality, the Coalition urged. Bacteria in the inland bays are coming to the forefront, especially after an Ocean City, Md., man died in September after an open wound became infected with Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria in the nearby Big Assawoman Bay.

“Vibrio [vulnificus], a virulent flesh-eating bacteria occasionally found in shellfish, can cause serious illness if one ingests raw or undercooked clams or oysters,” stated Jack Neylan, a Coalition cofounder and former Environmental Protection Agency employee.

The Coalition for Little Assawoman Bay is online at www.saveourassawoman.org.

The DNREC Secretary’s Order is online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/SecOrders_Regulations.aspx.

DNREC’s aquaculture page is www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries/Pages/ShellfishAquaculture.aspx.

For more information on the shellfish aquaculture SAA, contact DNREC’s Wetlands & Subaqueous Lands Section at (302) 739-9943. For more information on the shellfish aquaculture program, contact the Fisheries Section at (302) 739-9914.

Gov.-elect John Carney is building his cabinet to lead Delaware for the next four years. On Dec. 30, he announced his intent to nominate Selbyville’s Susan Bunting as Secretary of the Department of Education.

Bunting has served as Indian River School District superintendent since 2006, currently responsible for more than 10,000 students and more than 1,300 employees — one of the state’s biggest and fastest-growing school districts.

“Susan is among the most knowledgeable educators in Delaware, and has committed her career to improving public education in our state, and doing what is best for Delaware students,” Carney stated. “She will help us refocus the Department of Education as a support agency to help districts keep high-quality teachers in the classroom and better address the needs of their students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. I’m confident Susan is the right person for the job.

As secretary of education, Bunting would oversee Delaware’s public school system and serve as Carney’s education policy advisor.

Her tenure at IRSD has included numerous school, student and staff awards, including her own honor as a top-four finalist for 2012 National Superintendent of the Year.

Her goal is not just to produce lifelong learners, she said in a 2012 interview, “but healthy lifelong learners, ready to be able to give back to their communities, as their community supported them growing up, helping them prepare for the future. It’s a global kind of thing.”

But in the Indian River School District, students aren’t the only learners. Bunting had previously said the district has risen to the forefront of academic leadership because of professional development programs, which strengthen education through teachers, classrooms and administrators. As top administrator for the district, Bunting would often oversee or lead such programs.

“I see the superintendency as an instructional leadership position, and that is something that is near and dear to my heart,” she previously said. “That’s my background.”

She came to the IRSD in 1977, after six years as a teacher and curriculum writer in Maryland. As a teacher, she won IRSD Teacher of the Year for 1984-1985. She became the IRSD supervisor of elementary instruction in 1991, then IRSD director of instruction in 1996.

Bunting earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education from American University, a master’s degree in education from Salisbury University and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Delaware.

“Deep in our souls, we are dedicated to students, and anything we do is for the good of the students,” Bunting had previously said. “Sometimes I have to tell my staff members that, too. I’m not here to serve staff members. I’m here to serve students.”

Cabinet nominations must be confirmed by the Delaware Senate. If confirmed, she would take over the position currently held by Steven Godowsky.

Other recent nomination announcements include:
• Shawn M. Garvin — Secretary, Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC)
• Richard J. “Rick” Geisenberger — Secretary, Department of Finance
• James Collins — (continuing) Chief Information Officer, Delaware Department of Technology and Information,
• Mike Jackson — Director, Office of Management and Budget
• Perry Phelps — Commissioner, Department of Correction
• Jennifer Cohan — (continuing) Secretary, Department of Transportation
• Jeffrey Bullock — (continuing) Secretary, Department of State

The 2016 Delaware Gubernatorial Transition Team is based in Dover and Wilmington, available at (302) 577-5229. Résumés are being accepted to fill government staff positions. Visit www.transition.delaware.gov or email transitionresumes@delaware.gov for more information.