The Delaware Office of Highway Safety recently recognized law-enforcement officers from across the state for their DUI enforcement efforts.

“We awarded five officers from across the state for the top DUI leadership and enforcement award,” said Jana Simpler, director of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “DUIs — there’s more involved than just your typical speeding arrest or red-light violation. There’s a lot to it. There’s a lot you need to know regarding the law in order to effect an arrest that’s going to hold up in court.”

Ocean View Police Department Sgt. Sidney Ballentine one of those top five winners.

“Sgt. Ballentine has been involved in DUI enforcement for many, many years. He’s been very active in that he’s participated in training opportunities to gain more knowledge about impaired driving. According to the chief, he is a mentor for other officers within the department related to DUIs.”

Ocean View Police Chief Ken McLaughlin nominated Ballentine for the award.

In 2016 alone, Ballentine logged 21 DUI arrests, and in the last five years, he has logged 132 DUI arrests.

“That’s pretty impressive, when you consider Ocean View is 2 square miles with no real bar in town,” said McLaughlin. “In addition to his personal commitment to combatting drunk drivers, Sgt. Ballentine always goes out of his way to provide roadside assistance to officers investigating DUI incidents.”

The award ceremony, during which all five officers were recognized, was held on March 24 at 9 a.m. at Dover Downs Conference Center. Ballentine was recognized for his efforts alongside those of Ptlm. Anthony Smith of the Dover Police Department, Ptlm. Nicholas Disciullo of the Milton Police Department, TFC Mark Ivey of Delaware State Police Troop 1 and TFC Christopher Garcia of Delaware State Police Troop 4.

“One of the top — if not the main partner that our office coordinates with in order to improve highway safety across the state — is law-enforcement agencies. We cannot do what we do without them. We provide overtime funding for the purposes of improving highway safety,” said Simpler.

“Our agencies are always very active,” she said. “OHS is involved in changing driver behavior. I’ll often caution folks to remember that we’re not DelDOT. They’re changing driver behavior from the construction side of highway safety. We’re changing driver behavior from the behavioral side — trying to reduce speeds, getting people to be belted, increase the correct and consistent use of car seats, and certainly reduce the incidents of impaired driving.

“We rely a lot on our law-enforcement partners to help us do that. So, it’s important to us, as a result of their partnership, to say, ‘Thank you.’ We’re pleased to continue to support them in their training, equipment and enforcement needs. This was our opportunity to say, ‘Thank you’ for all of their hard work.”

Ballentine joined the OVPD in 2008, after retiring as an E-7 platoon sergeant in the U.S. Army.

“Contrary to popular belief, most of us who retire from the military can’t survive on our retirement. So, I made a natural transition from being a military policeman, having a law-enforcement background there, to wanting to pursue being a police officer,” said Ballentine.

He joined the Army when he was 18, in the 1980s, and was deployed a handful of times, including twice to Korea and once to Germany.He said his time serving as an MP helped prepare him for his future law-enforcement career in Ocean View.

“Being an MP, you do a lot of things. I worked on the road, and then I also went into the field a lot because we support infantry battalions, whether they be mechanized or non-mechanized.”

Originally from Watertown, N.Y., Ballentine and his family settled in Sussex County after his military retirement, with the “pie in the sky” hope that he’d get a job in a local police department.

“I went to every police department in Sussex County. I was competing with younger guys. A lot of them told me no because I’d run 15 seconds behind a 21-year-old, so they picked the 21-year-old. My chief took a chance on an old guy and said, ‘Sure, I’ll hire you. You just got to make it through the six-month police academy.’

Ballentine not only completed DSP academy, but was named the Core Values Recruit for 69th municipal recruit class.

“He showed himself to be a cut above the rest, even at the academy level,” said McLaughlin. “That award acknowledges the recruit that best demonstrated the core values of the Delaware State Police training academy. Those core values are honor, integrity, courage, loyalty, attitude, discipline and service. It’s probably one of the most prestigious awards that’s presented by the state police academy.”

In his law enforcement career, Ballentine has also received commendations from the superintendent of the Delaware State Police, lifesaving awards, Police Officer of the Year from the Delaware League of Local Government, the Joshua M. Freeman Valor Award and more.

“The list just goes on and on and on,” sand McLaughlin. “We’ve got multiple, multiple letters of thanks and praise from the community. His commitment to duty just continues every day of the week.”

As for his career in law enforcement, Ballentine said it’s been a fun ride.

“It changes every day. Even if you go to the same type of call — whether it be a domestic or a burglary or a traffic accident — they’re all different. There’s going to be a component that changes how you handle it,” he said.

Ballentine said he uses what he learned during his career in the Army to support his law-enforcement efforts.

“I’ve always said, ‘Without enforcement, there’s no compliance,’” he said, noting he took the saying from detention barracks in Fort Riley, Kan. “Their motto was ‘firm but fair.’ So when I started dealing with my soldiers, I said, ‘Without enforcement, there’s no compliance. If I didn’t tell you not to do something and there wasn’t a penalty, you’d still do it.’

“People know not to drive drunk in Ocean View. When I look at DUIs — the word gets out: Don’t drive drunk in Ocean View — and I make fewer and fewer arrests, I’ve done my job already. If I don’t have to go to a lot of vehicle rollovers with a drunk person walking away from it but the people he hit die — which is a story we hear all the time — I’ve done my job.”

Nationally, in 2016, an average of 28 people per day were killed in DUI accidents. In 2015, 10,265 people died in DUI crashes.

In his time as an officer, Ballentine said he’s had intoxicated persons do a number of things, including spit at and belittle him.

“It’s when people are at their worst.”

DUI is a nationwide problem, said both McLaughlin and Ballentine.

“When they say ‘impairment,’ they’re not just talking about the guy who had a few at the local bar. They’re talking the mom that took a sleep aid. They’re talking the guy who’s taking pain meds,” said Ballentine.

“We have an alcohol problem in the world. It’s probably one of the oldest, most-abused drugs out there, aside from caffeine. Alcohol is destructive, addictive. It’s a central nervous system depressant. It lowers inhibitions — it’s a drug. It has the same effect any other drug has on society. But it’s legal.”

Overall, Ballentine said police work is fun, whether it’s working on a burglary investigation or DUI case.

“It’s a marathon,” he added, noting that, at times, he may be pacing himself, but it’s only in preparation for the upcoming race. “I like my job. It’s just a lot of fun.”

McLaughlin praised Ballentine for his hard work and dedication to the department and to keeping Ocean View and its surrounding communities safe.

“Every year he’s been with us — he’s like a fine wine, he gets better with age. He just doesn’t stop. He gives 110 percent every day. He’s someone who is admired by other officers in the department. He’s definitely a true leader. He’s distinguished himself many other times throughout his career with outstanding criminal investigations.

“He’s one of those officers that’s just invaluable because he brings so much to the table. His experience, his attitude and his level of performance is everything you could hope for in a good officer.”

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: U.S. Sen. Tom Carper discussed the proposed elimination of all USDA water and wastewater loan and grant programs, and said he didn’t ‘think this new drinking water plant (in Selbyville) could be built’ without them.Last summer, the town of Selbyville saw a potential crisis on the horizon. Money was running low during construction of a new water-treatment facility. If they failed to complete the project, the small town would have to repay a $2.7 million state grant, and Selbyville residents would still be drinking gasoline additives in the water while staring at a half-finished water facility.

A $500,000 USDA Rural Development grant saved the day and pushed the project forward toward its completion date of late May.

But President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal would eliminate all USDA water and wastewater loan and grant programs, worth $498 million. As part of his proposed 21 percent cut from USDA’s overall budget, Trump suggested shaving 2.8 percent by eliminating the $498 million program that has helped Selbyville on multiple occasions.

That’s alarming to leaders at all levels of Delaware government.

The USDA helps rural communities build, expand or modernize water and wastewater facilities for populations of 10,000 or fewer. Delaware has benefitted from about 44 projects, worth $131.2 million dollars, including $70 million in Sussex County, said Kathy Beisner, acting state director for USDA Rural Development in Maryland and Delaware.

Several million dollars have been granted to Selbyville projects, and the Town is hoping for more in the near future.

“There was no way Selbyville could have done anything with this water without help,” said Mayor Clifton Murray, describing the years of frustration dealing with gasoline additive MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) seeping into its groundwater, which triggered the construction of new wells and the new water plant.

“Our town deserves it. All towns do. Good, solid drinking water — a good supply of it. I think we’re on the right road to achieve that. It would have been impossible without [the funding]. I don’t know what we would have done.”

The president’s budget blueprint only includes discretionary funding proposals, which “eliminates and reduces hundreds of programs and focuses funding to redefine the proper role of the federal government,” the document states.

“The budget request supports core [USDA] and mission critical activities while streamlining, reducing or eliminating duplicative, redundant or lower priority programs where the federal role competes with the private sector or other levels of government.”

But having multiple pots of money strengthens projects, others have argued. With the USDA funding gone, the remaining governmental pots of money would dry up faster among all the competition, said Selbyville Councilman Richard “Rick” Duncan Sr. “But if you’ve got two pots, it’s easier to get projects done.”

For just the new water treatment plant — which includes air strippers to help MTBEs evaporate out of the drinking water — Selbyville was fortunate to get more than $3 million in what is essentially grant money from the USDA and Delaware State Revolving Fund, as the zero-interest loans are forgiven upon project completion.

By leveraging money across different agencies, USDA dollars are made more effective. The goal is to improve life and opportunities for rural and small towns.

Such water and wastewater programs date back to 1930s, originally targeted at improving water resources for farms in drought-stricken western states.

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said such projects were once funded by combining federal and state grants, until the revolving loan program started during the Reagan era.

Revolving funds use low-interest loans to help fund new projects.

“It works,” with a combination of state and federal money, plus water customer fees, Carper said. “It’s like a three-legged stool — [the president’s budget] takes out the Rural Development piece, which, in this case, I don’t think this new drinking water plant could be built.”

“Rural communities can be served by private-sector financing or other federal investments in rural water infrastructure, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Funds,” stated the president’s budget blueprint.

But Duncan warned that private funding would be a burden for Selbyville’s working families and senior citizens. Water and wastewater rates could increase, due to higher interest rates and shorter loan periods for water system improvement projects.

Aside from his position on the council, Duncan is also the executive director of the Delaware Rural Water Association, which provides technical assistance, training and legislative representation for water systems across Delaware.

“Delaware Rural Water provides funding sources from the USDA Rural Development to the systems that are in need of treatment, upgrades, distribution expansion, and are just plain failing infrastructures,” Duncan said. “It is because of this partnership … that makes America great and our drinking water clean and safe.”

Selbyville’s not done with water projects, either.

“We’re going to need at least $5 million more to finish up what we need here,” including filters, backwash filters and possibly a new water tower or storage, Duncan said. “Without those loans and grants, infrastructure progress stops.”

“There are approximately 52,000 community water supplies in the nation, of which 92 percent serve” populations of fewer than 10,000 people, according to the National Rural Water Association.

The most complicated task for some small communities is “the ability to provide, on a daily basis, clean, safe drinking water and sanitary disposal wastewater,” Beisner said.

“I understand budgets at the federal level are majorly constrained, as is [the case] in Delaware, and so I think it’s always a balancing act of prioritizing,” said Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett, who also chaired Trump’s 2016 Delaware campaign. “So, for me, I would be for continuation of the money, obviously, coming from the feds. It’s a matter of them privatizing and Congress battling it out as for the priorities.

“Like most things, this is a shared responsibility,” said Carper, who serves on the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. “What is the role of government? … People ask the question, and I think of Matthew 25 [Verse 35], ‘When I was thirsty, did you give me to drink?’ Well, yeah, we did. And what we gave you to drink was something you could drink and not get sick when you drink it.”

In May, the president’s full and detailed budget proposal will include specific details, including tax proposals. Then Congress will also begin planning and debating the national budget. The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The entire outline of “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again” is online at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget.

The Town of Frankford is looking for more ways to use a piece of property adjacent to the town park that it recently purchased.

The parcel was purchased primarily to provide overflow parking for those going to the park; however, Councilman Marty Presley said at the town council’s April 3 meeting that there would be space leftover on the nearly 2-acre property.

“I’d like to throw it out to the community, to see what the community would like to see go into that land,” said Presley.

He noted that crush-and-run gravel could be added for additional parking, which could also be used for a farmers’ market.

“It’s wide open for what the community wants to put there. I was thinking that maybe we could move the soccer field over there. Currently, we’ve got the soccer field and just one net in the middle of the park proper, which, by August, if you’re there, the grass is all gone.”

Presley said a horseshoe pit or other games, with picnic tables, could be on the open land.

“Eventually, I think it would make sense to move the basketball court over there.”

Council President Joanne Bacon said she liked the idea but was concerned, as the area was not fenced-in.

“I think it’s a good idea, but it concerns me with them running from that one to the other one, and there are little kids out there.”

Presley said those who have ideas for the space should contact Town Clerk Cheryl Lynch.

“There’s a lot of land out there. There’s a lot of things we could do with it, and fairly cheaply.”

Also on April 3, Bacon said the council had held an executive session on March 27 to discuss options related to the old police department and town hall properties, now that both functions have been consolidated in the former J.P. Court building. At that meeting, the council had voted to rent town hall and sell the police department building.

Further, it was announced that the council had voted to lease the town hall building to Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project Inc. (SERCAP) for $600 per month. (SERCAP is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) multi-state regional training and technical assistance center and a statewide community action agency with a mission to promote the development of affordable water and wastewater facilities, activities and resources to improve the quality of life for low-income rural residents.)

Russell Davenport, who owns property in the town and who had spoken to the council about the property at its March meeting, said he was still interested in using the town hall for a small business that would sell ice cream and chocolate treats.

“I think it’s something good for this town,” he said.

Davenport said he had looked at buying the old police department building, and his contractor had told him, “You don’t want this,” due to the cost of renovations that would be needed for the use.

“I don’t really want to do it in anybody else’s town, because it doesn’t benefit this town. That’s our whole problem. We can’t spend a dime in this town except on our taxes and our water bill. Our kids have nowhere to go… The adults don’t. In the summertime, it’d be nice to just take a walk.”

Bacon said the last time she had been in communication with Davenport, he had said town hall was too small for his venture. Davenport said it was, but that he had wanted to make it work after seeing how much it would cost to renovate the old police department.

Councilman Greg Welch said the council wants to preserve the old town hall, which is why they do not want to sell the building.

“What we mainly want to do is preserve the building. It’s been in Town [ownership] since 1908. It’s a real pretty building that’s in good shape. It just needs some work. But if we sell it, we have no say in how it’s there.”

Davenport said he would put it in the sale contract that they wouldn’t do anything to the building.

“We want to keep it in Town [ownership] for the benefit of the entire town,” said Presley. “Regardless of what you put in some sort of contract, it can always be overruled in a court of law.”

Presley said the Town hopes to donate it to Envision Frankford one day, or it could eventually go to the Frankford fire department.

“We’ve got to have something to liven this town up. Somebody’s got to start somewhere,” said Davenport. “I just want to try to put something in Frankford. If not, I’m done. I’m not going to spend a dime in this damn town. I’m giving you the opportunity, that’s all. If you don’t want to take it, that’s fine. It won’t hurt my feelings, because I’ll go somewhere else and do it.”

Frankford Volunteer Fire Company President Robbie Murray said the fire company did not have any objection to Davenport’s proposal for a sweets shop; however, he said he had not been informed that SERCAP would possibly lease the building and use the fire company’s adjacent parking lot.

Davenport added that he had sent Councilwoman Pam Davis a text message prior to the council voting on leasing the building to SERCAP, stating that he was interested in using it.

“It’s problematic to me,” said Bacon, noting that, although the Town had not yet signed a lease agreement, it had already made a verbal agreement to lease the building to SERCAP.

She added that the council would discuss the situation and get back to Davenport.

Also on April 3, the council voted unanimously to accept a bid from DNL Cleaning to clean the new town hall one day a week for $40. L&M Cleaning Services also turned in a bid for a $75 weekly cleaning, or $100 for a biweekly cleaning.

Police Chief Mark Hudson reported that March was a quiet month, but told citizens to be aware when out on the road, as it is now motorcycle weather. He added that the Town’s pole radar should be installed in the new few weeks, and that the Town is looking into hiring another part-time officer, for more visibility on the road.

Envision Frankford will hold its second annual Egg Scramble on Saturday, April 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Frankford Town Park. The egg hunt for teens and those with special needs will begin at 1:30 p.m. The other age-group hunts will begin at 2 p.m. and run every 20 minutes.

“We had 800 kids last year, so I would expect very similar numbers,” said Murray.

Hocker’s will be on-site, selling hamburgers and hotdogs, while kids can enjoy fun games and crafts, in addition to the egg hunts.

With a goal of conserving energy, the Indian River School District will invest in an energy audit with Trane USA Inc. through the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility.

The audit will include every district school and cost a minimum of $71,500.

“I think it’s a very prudent use of taxpayer money,” said Joseph Booth, IRSD supervisor of buildings and grounds. “This is a project that we had been working on to take advantage of what the State’s doing, to reduce our energy cost at Indian River School District.”

The investment-grade audit includes a detailed report that will help the IRSD find potential lenders to fund the bigger energy-saving projects. Low-interest loans could be repaid with the savings from the energy reduction.

“If we go through with this, they’re probably going to recommend millions of dollars’ worth of work,” for big and small projects, Booth said.

Projects could range from small to massive: LED lighting; installing energy-efficient mechanical equipment; and switching from oil to natural gas. But the IRSD doesn’t have to invest in those major projects. The school board can make that decision later.

If the IRSD does not pursue the projects, the district gets to keep the report but is responsible for repaying $71,500, which is half of the audit’s $143,000 total value. (That cost can be funded with minor capital improvement funds.)

Booth said he thinks it’s a great investment.

“I think we’re getting something that should prove to be very useful, whether or not we go through with the whole project,” said Booth.

If the school board pursues the recommended projects, the audit cost is “blended in with the energy savings. … It’s all mixed into the money that we’re borrowing,” Booth said.

This was not a hasty decision. For months, the project was deliberated by the Board of Education and the Buildings & Grounds Committee as they also navigated budget cuts and two referendum votes.

The audit could be especially timely, since the State is considering reductions to school energy funds.

The IRSD Board of Education unanimously approved the move on March 27 during its public session. However, the Trane presentation and board discussion occurred during executive session, said Board President Charles Bireley, because the decision would ultimately depend on IRSD’s discussion of personnel cuts, and because the contract oversight would become one person’s job duty.

More details, including a timeline, will be determined in April.

The audit agreement is online at www.boarddocs.com/de/irsd/Board.nsf/Public (click “Meetings” “March 27, 2017,” “View the Agenda” and “4.07 ESCO Seiberlich Trane Proposal.”

Wanted: People who know numbers.

As promised, Indian River School District is seeking in-depth public input on district finances. The IRSD is now accepting applications for the new Citizens Budget Oversight Committee.

Volunteers will be specially trained to understand, review and contribute to regular discussions on IRSD budgets.

The goal is transparency, to ensure that public stakeholders can provide input on district finances.

“The committee will be advisory in nature and make recommendations on financial matters to the Indian River Board of Education,” according to a district statement. “The committee’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, review of monthly/quarterly financial statements, review of the annual budget before presentation to the Indian River Board of Education and review of trends and future needs of the district to prioritize future expenditures.”

The committee will include the district superintendent, the director of finance and 10 citizens of the Indian River School District.

All committee members will attend training provided by Delaware Department of Education.

“That’s especially important because … school finances are kind of complex when you’re dealing with local, state, federal — all these pots of money,” said David Maull, IRSD spokesperson.

Even school board members have acknowledged the challenges of education finance, compared to regular budgeting.

Meetings will occur at least quarterly, with the chairperson reporting at the Indian River Board of Education public meetings.

IRSD officials have said this isn’t the first citizen budget committee, but the last one came to be replaced by the IRSD Finance Committee, which meets monthly, but typically includes staff, board members and administration, although the public is welcome to participate or observe.

Since last autumn, there has been a public call for more financial oversight and transparency, in the wake of an unfavorable financial audit, the sudden departure of the district’s former chief financial officer and a failed public referendum.

New superintendent Mark Steele has said he wants the IRSD to create the 10-person board, as well as long-term plans for funding, enrollment and future growth.

Members can be residents, employees or parents in Indian River School District. Individuals would serve two-year terms, with the option to extend that by another three terms.

There is no apparent age minimum, although individuals will be judged on their educational and vocational backgrounds.

The deadline to apply is Monday, April 24. Committee members will be selected soon thereafter, and the first meeting will likely occur in May, with training in July.

People should submit an application form (available online); letter of interest; résumé of experience or qualifications for serving; and references that can attest to their educational/financial knowledge and/or community involvement.

Application paperwork should be submitted to Superintendent Mark Steele, Indian River School District; 31 Hosier St.; Selbyville, DE 19975, or to mark.steele@irsd.k12.de.us.

The initial Citizen Budget Oversight Committee membership will be chosen by a group that includes the district superintendent, the director of finance, a Board of Education member, an Indian River Education Association member and two parents/community members.

“Future vacancies on the committee will be handled on a case-by-case basis. This will involve advertising the vacancy in the community and soliciting applications,” Maull added.

The Indian River School District’s new finance information web page is www.irsd.net/departments/finance. Details and application forms are available online at www.irsd.net/news in the Budget Oversight news release.

Art and religion come to life in the “Living Last Supper,” the story of Jesus Christ’s disciples, which will be presented April 12 and 13 by Millville United Methodist Church.

The one-hour performance begins with Jesus revealing that one of his disciples will betray him. The men are startled into the pose of Leonardo da Vinci’s 1498 painting “The Last Supper.”

One by one, each of the apostles tells his story, about life beforehand and how Jesus personally impacted them. Audiences will hear their regrets and the moments that moved them.

“It explains to the people what the people went through when they met Jesus, … plus after he was crucified,” said Joe Skinner, who plays Phillip.

“It humanizes the character we’re playing. It brings them to life,” said Rich Spina, who plays Andrew.

His character talks about finding the boy with two fish and five loaves of bread, which came to feed the congregation on the mountain.

Each character tells his story, based directly from Bible verse, but in simpler language. These are brief tales, unlike a movie adaptation of a novel that attempts to add filler.

MUMC has performed the show for about five years, using both all-men and all-women casts.

“Basically, it’s all about keeping Jesus in the center of Easter,” said director Marianne Smith. “I mean, the Easter Bunny’s great, and eggs are great, but Jesus is the reason.”

“It makes the whole Last Supper come to life. I feel so much closer to the painting,” said Bob Heird, who plays Simon Peter.

“We’re telling what has happened in our life when we decided to follow Jesus. … Our lives are brought forward from beginning to end,” said Donald Maeby, who plays Simon the Zealot.

Most suffered martyrs’ deaths afterward. Most would do it again, too, according to the story.

Regarding Judas’ story, Smith simply said, “I hope you come, because he’ll bring you to tears.”

The cast encouraged everyone with curiosity about the apostles or questions about the Easter Holy Week to attend.

Shows are at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, April 12 and 13. Performances include hymn singing, prayer and communion. The hour-long event is free, but love offerings are welcome.

Millville U.M. Church is located at the corner of Route 26 and Club House Road. The address is 36405 Club House Road, Millville.

Coastal Point • Kerin Magill: Phillip C. Showell Elementary School art teacher Laurie Hall recently received recognition as the school’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.Phillip C. Showell Elementary School art teacher Laurie Hall didn’t always want to teach art.

“I went through a medical-thriller book phase” as a teen, she said. “I wanted to be an epidemiologist.”

She also had a fondness for art. however, and “I always loved my elementary school art teachers. I always used to play school, too.”

And in her junior year in high school, Hall said, “something just clicked.” She majored in elementary education at Frostburg State University and followed that with a master’s degree at George Mason University in “initiatives in educational transformations,” which involved work on bringing visiting artists to schools on Delmarva.

Hall is the 2017 Teacher of the Year for Phillip Showell. She has been at the Selbyville elementary school for five years. During that time, she spent two years without a classroom of her own, pushing her “art cart” from room to room throughout the day.

“It was actually a really good thing for me. It made me be really organized!” she said. Now, however, Hall has her own room, the walls of which are brimming with recent student work.

She is also certified as a special-education teacher and spends part of each week “pushing in” to special-education classrooms. While her work as the school’s art teacher allows her to work with every student in the school each week, she said she also enjoys her special-education classwork, in which she works one-on-one with students or with small groups.

Hall said she enjoys teaching the different grade levels because she sees such progression in the children from year to year, and each grade calls for different teaching techniques and skills. “I love kindergarten, in that everything is new and so exciting to them,” she said.

As the students grow, Hall said, she is able to give them “a little more freedom” each year, and by fourth grade, “I feel like I give them a lot more detailed projects. There’s no time for ‘fluff’” in the higher grades because she is trying to squeeze more intense work into the same 40-minute class period.

By the time the students reach fifth grade, she said, “Compared to kindergarten, it feels like I’m teaching high school.”

Hall said she relishes the chance to get to know each student in the school as they come through her classroom each week.

“I love knowing everybody’s name,” she said. “That’s my goal — to feel like I have a good relationship with every student.”

Through art, Hall teaches her students about the world around them and pulls what they are learning in their core classes into the art room. Students are currently involved in a Reader’s Theater project, in which they are building sets and puppets and will eventually put together a performance. Another project involves participation in the state Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control’s rain barrel decorating contest.

Showell students’ artwork might even make it into space in the coming months. Hall is in the early stages of working on a project in which the students would decorate the nose cone of a NASA sounding rocket.

Exposing her students to different media and letting them try new things is important to Hall. Although she said she focused on ceramics in college, “I always assumed I was a painter,” she said, adding that college also taught her that she didn’t have to be good at every kind of art. “I remember my first drawing class,” she said. “I was terrible.” Now, she emphasizes to her students that “you might not be a painter” but encourages them to try each area.

Another of Hall’s goals is to increase community involvement in the school. She brought in local artist John Donato last year to work with students on a mural project, which she said was very successful, and she hopes to continue similar projects.

Through funding from the SouthEastern Delaware Artists’ Studio Tour (SEDAST), Hall has been able to purchase sketchbooks for some grade levels, which she is now able to allow students to keep from year to year. “They are really enjoying that,” she said.

She praised the staff at Phillip Showell, which she said shares her goal of building relationships with students.

“It’s so cool to see everybody do that here,” she said. “This school is amazing. … I wish people could come and see what we’re doing here.”

Phillip Showell Principal Karen Clausen said she “could talk all day” about the contributions Hall makes to the school and the community.

“Laurie is such an asset to our building,” Clausen said, adding that Hall’s dual certification as an art teacher and special-ed teacher is a major advantage in a small school. “She is such a hard worker,” Clausen said.

“She is continually looking at the big picture,” Clausen added.

Hall’s involvement in the school’s “positive behavior support system” includes the mural project, which portrays the good behaviors the school seeks to instill in its students.

Hall also organized a “kindness bracelet” project for the students, which was another reinforcement of positive behaviors, working in particular with school counselors on that project.

“She is very involved in the school as a whole,” Clausen said. “She is very adept at working with other teachers” and incorporating other classes and other school activities into art class, such as contributing student artwork for decorations for school concerts.

Clausen also praised Hall’s efforts to reach out into the community for the benefit of the students and the school.

“She loves the whole picture of that parent-school-community piece,” Clausen said, adding that Hall has sought numerous grants through Donors Choose.

Homeschooling gives families the freedom to better control their kids’ education. But they can lack some musical experiences, such as chorus and band lessons. So, starting this fall, longtime high school music teacher Mark Marvel will offer private daytime music lessons to individual students.

Marvel said he was inspired to expand his offerings by seeing homeschool families looking to include music in their children’s lives.

“They were doing a search see if there’s anyone in Sussex County who taught music lessons during the actual school day,” Marvel said.

“When they homeschool their kids, traditionally that’s the thing that the kids lose out on. They don’t get to participate [in gym] unless they take them to gymnastics,” Marvel said, and private music lessons take the place of a band or chorus class.

Based in Dagsboro, Marvel teaches electric, acoustic and bass guitar, all band instruments, percussion and mallets. His clients range from young first-time players to teenage County Band candidates, as well as adults and retirees who may have always wanted to play.

He also teaches music theory and arranging to high schoolers interested in studying music in college.

Additionally, any bands and choirs seeking musical arrangements of pop, classical or original songs can turn to Marvel.

“A lot of band and choral directors don’t know how to do it. Even if they do, they’re just so swamped,” Marvel said.

Retired from Indian River High School, Marvel out of necessity often arranged his own music for countless concerts and musicals, where he often conducted and played electric guitar, but also specialized in trumpet.

“I taught high school for 32 years and taught every instrument in the band,” said Marvel, who holds a master’s degree in music education from Salisbury University. “Even prior to that, I was teaching private guitar and bass lessons since I was 16.”

Meanwhile, he still rocks with some of his own former students in the band Over Time, found on local stages most weekends and summer nights.

“I’ve had adults … say, ‘I’d like to come see you play and talk about lessons,’” said Marvel, who recommends those folks to find the gig schedule at www.OverTimerockband.com.

Lessons typically last 30 minutes and are typically offered Tuesdays and Wednesdays. People can also inquire about times on Thursdays and Mondays.

Contact Mark Marvel for more information or prices, at (302) 539-7008, (302) 249-1799, marvus@aol.com or www.facebook.com/markmarvelmusic.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: Indian River High Schools seniors George Martin, left, and Jared Arlett, announced their official appointments to the United States Naval Academy at IR on Thursday.After moving to Delaware from Severna Park, Md., in the sixth grade, George Martin walked into Mrs. O’Shields’ sixth-grade science class on his first day at Selbyville Middle School, not knowing anyone, and sat down next to a young baseball-player-turned-wrestler by the name of Jared Arlett.

Little did either Martin or Arlett know then that their first conversation that day would end up being first of many more just like it, and one that would end up foreshadowing both of their hopeful futures.

“We were talking, and I asked him where he was from. At the time, I had no idea where Severna Park was,” Arlett recalled with a laugh. “He told me it was right outside of Annapolis, and I said, ‘Oh, that’s right by the Naval Academy. I think I kind of want to go there.’”

“Yeah. I think I kind of want to go there, too,” is how Martin had answered.

As the classic credo of the academy’s Midshipmen goes, “Let the journey begin.”

Fast-forward some seven years later, and what was once a sixth-grade daydream has since turned into anything but, with Martin and Arlett becoming the first students from Indian River High School to join the country’s “First in Defense” and officially receiving their letters of appointment from the United States Naval Academy.

“It’s an honor,” said Martin. “It’s still starting to set in. I’m more than honored to be a part of the Navy tradition and to be able to represent and serve my country. It’s not something that everybody gets a chance to do.”

“To be able to represent our school, our community, and now our country, is such an honor,” said an equally honored Arlett.

Since their days at SMS, both 4.0-GPA students and three-sport athletes (after Arlett convinced Martin to join the wrestling team for their senior seasons and Martin convinced Arlett to do the same in joining the lacrosse team) have gone on to put together decorated careers both on the field and in the classroom.

But despite stacking their résumés with accolades while lettering in football, wrestling and lacrosse, trading off student council presidencies during their sophomore and junior years, and upholding an array of extracurriculars, the two embarked on the Academy’s intensive year-long application process well aware of what it was going to take.

Historically, the Naval Academy has ranked alongside the Ivy League when it comes to selectivity, requiring a congressional nomination to even apply and mailing out about 1,300 letters of appointment to brigade hopefuls across the country, and the world, in 2016.

Going by the numbers, if the odds of one of those letters making its way to a small school in Delaware was slim, the chances of two of them addressed to the same small school in Delaware was even more so.

Interestingly enough, it was in statistics class where those odds were detailed on the exact day that they’d be defied, during what would be the second-most foretelling conversation between the two now-seniors at Indian River High School.

“I was sitting next to George in one my classes, and that day he goes, ‘Jared, you need to find out if you’re going to the Naval Academy, because I’d really like to know,’” Arlett recalled with a laugh of yet another “G-Mart” pre-class anecdote.

After receiving a phone call from U.S. Rep. John Carney (D-Del.) with the congratulatory news of receiving a LOA (letter of assurance) in December — somewhat ironically, during his first career wrestling match — Martin was hopeful that his long-time friend and teammate would soon receive his own similar-natured news.

“I told him, ‘Hopefully, I’ll hear from them soon.’ At this point, it had been awhile since I finished my application," said Arlett. "Then, when my dad got home that day, he told me the Navy coach called. He hadn’t told him anything but said that I needed to go online and check, so we both jumped up and ran to the computer.”

As the respected rallying cry of the Midshipmen goes: “Hooyah.”

Sure enough, the answer Arlett had been looking for was waiting for him there on the screen, cause for both celebrating surmounted odds and making phone calls to future fellow cadets and certain good pals from first-period statistics classes.

“I called George and invited him to dinner, and while we were there, the wrestling coach actually called me to congratulate me. He was at the NCAA tournament out in St. Louis, so I did not expect that. I thought that was really cool,” said Arlett.

“To get into the Naval Academy is just something that I didn’t know if it would ever actually happen,” he went on. “It started out with me and George talking about him getting his nomination. Then, a couple weeks later, I got mine, too. It just slowly got more and more realistic. As we got closer and closer to finally getting accepted, it was just like, ‘Whoa — we’re both actually doing this.’”

“Senior year, we said to each other, ‘If it happens, we can’t pass it up,’” added Martin.

Let the journey begin

While both Martin and Arlett will ship off to the Naval Academy ready to put both academics and the promise of a prestigious career in the military first, they’re both planning on taking their athletic talents to the NCAA at the Division I level.

In fact, Arlett will start heading to Annapolis to hit the mats with his new team as soon as later this month.

After helping lead the Indians to a state championship appearance as a captain during one of the team’s most successful seasons in program history, Arlett’s hopes as an NCAA student-athlete include making it to nationals and eventually cracking the All-American list by his senior season.

“Jared definitely has the work ethic to succeed at that next level. The talent is there,” said IR head wrestling coach Jeff Windish, who also coached Arlett on the football field.

“In my opinion, Jared is the epitome of a student-athlete. He does what he needs to do in the classroom, and he succeeds at a high level; the same thing on the wrestling side. I know he’ll keep working hard and that he’s going to succeed at whatever he sets his mind to. He’s just that kind of kid.”

Giving up baseball to take up wrestling in the seventh grade, Arlett noted that he hasn’t been around the sport as long as most Division I wrestlers, explaining that it was coaches early in his career, such as Windish, who helped him develop into an eventual state championship contender.

“I have to give that credit to my coaches for helping me get to where I am today,” Arlett said. “I still have work to do, and I still need to continue to improve, but that’s what’s exciting about going into a Division I program — I have the opportunity to learn and try to get to that next level.”

As for Martin, the All-Conference selection in both football and lacrosse had already verbally committed to Washington & Lee for both sports before receiving the news from the Naval Academy.

In addition to its academics, it was the possibility of the Bo Jackson aspect at W&L that had initially attracted him to the Division III program. But even with the school offering everything on his collegiate checklist, there was still one exception.

“It’s a great campus, great academic school, and it would have been great to play football and lacrosse there, but I explained to the coaches that if I got into the academies, it would be the one exception,” explained Martin, who was also accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“And then it happened. The Naval Academy is something you can’t pass up. The [W&L] coach actually has a son at West Point right now, so they were very understanding.”

Despite drawing early interest from the Navy as lacrosse recruit, among other programs, after being selected to play in the Under Armour Top 50 Uncommitted Showcase the summer before his junior season, this summer Martin will try out with the team, hoping to earn himself a spot in the Midshipmen lacrosse lineup.

While nothing is guaranteed, IR head lacrosse coach Jim Dietsch said that, after coaching him for the past four seasons, he has no doubts about Martin’s abilities to adapt to the Division I level.

“It’s my 45th year coaching, and George has got to be one of the top five kids I’ve ever worked with. I truly mean that,” said Dietsch, whose coaching résumé includes DI national championships with the University of Maryland. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he can play at the next level and be very effective.

“His biggest thing is his work ethic. He did the same thing with football — lived in the weight room, lifted, and all of a sudden he gains 1,000 yards. On top of that, he makes everybody else around him better. He’s just a character kid. He’s a kid that makes you proud to say, ‘I coached this kid.’”

“I’m excited about it,” Martin said of the opportunity. “I definitely need to push myself, because it’s far from being assured at this point.”

Not for self, but for country

As the perennial proverb of the Midshipmen goes, “Not for self, but for country.”

Both with a long lineage of military bloodlines, Martin and Arlett said they were proud to not only to uphold their respective family legacies but to be able to serve their country by embarking on careers with the military.

Martin plans on eventually going into aviation or special forces, with goals of graduating on the Commandant’s List, while Arlett plans on following in the footsteps of both his grandfather and father, Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett, by becoming a surface warfare officer.

“I’ve always had an interest in that, ever since I was little. We would go visit the ships, and my grandfather would tell me stories,” said Arlett, noting that his grandfather had been the subject of one of his essays while going through the application process. “He had Alzheimer’s, but one of the things that he never forgot was his Naval Academy experience. He remembered it down to the day.”

“I’ve had military in my family my whole life, on both sides. Living up to the legacy that they’ve set is something that I aspire to and something that I want to be a part of,” said Martin, whose father, Lan Martin, also attended the Naval Academy.

“I’m a firm believer that you’re a product of your environment. Growing up in four different places, I’ve met a lot of different types of people and seen a lot of different types of personalities, and I feel like my personality is best fit for the Naval Academy. I really want to serve my country for as long as I can.”

No matter their future dreams, however, both Martin and Arlett said they are more than ready to let a journey that started out all those years ago in science class at Selbyville Middle School finally begin and ready to embrace whatever new opportunities it has to offer.

As goes the weathered saying of the sea, “You can't control the direction of the wind, but you can adjust the sails.”

“I always dreamed of playing college sports, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll understand. That means I’m just going to have more time to dedicate to being a Midshipman,” said Martin. “No matter what, things will work out. I know that there’s a path for everybody.”

Coastal Point • Submitted : The crew from Smitty McGee’s at last year’s Bunny Palooza!The person who can hop (or run or walk) to the finish line faster than all the other bunnies at the Bunny Palooza 10K/5K, will go home with an award, and even those who aren’t the speediest rabbit at the Saturday, April 15, event will be able to hunt up some fun and funds for a local cause.

Bunny Palooza is now in its fifth year as a community event and fundraiser for the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund and grant programs.

“We were just looking for something new,” said QRCF President Brigit Taylor, following years of running golf tournaments to raise funds for the organization.

“Running and walking and community events seemed to be the trend,” Taylor said. So, the 10K run and 6K run/walk were chosen as the QRCF’s new fundraiser. Next, the QRCF set about finding a time for its new event that wouldn’t conflict with other community events.

Easter weekend seemed to be a good time, since families are often together at the beach and the weather is mild, Taylor said. Plus, there’s the fun of dressing to match the Bunny Palooza theme — which is kind of a kitschy version of an Easter parade.

“People dress in bunny ears and tutus and all kinds of stuff,” Taylor said.

Local singer and student Paige Stevenson will kick off the event by singing the national anthem, Taylor said.

“It has become a very family-friendly event,” she said, with Tidepool Toys donating large stuffed animals for top finishers. And the runners and walkers aren’t the only competitors this year, with 10 area restaurants competing for bragging rights in a post-race chili cook-off, after four judges taste-test all the offerings. Beer will be available for those 21 or older, provided by NKS Distributors.

The holiday theme and after-race activities give the event a “festival-like atmosphere,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of people tell us this is a race they wouldn’t miss,” she said.

She described the course itself as fast and flat, ideal for runners of all skill levels. The race will be chip-timed by Races2Run and Nova, with real-time results posted on large-screen monitors. Finishers will receive medals, and everyone who registered by April 5 was guaranteed a commemorative race shirt.

After the race, the fun will continue on “Palooza Plaza” with music by C.K. the D.J., as well as “other surprises,” Taylor said.

The 10K begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K begins at 9:30 a.m. Both races begin at Parkwood Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in downtown Bethany Beach and end on the boardwalk. Awards will be given to overall, masters and age-group winners, with special top-finisher awards provided by Tidepool Toys.

With the Easter weekend falling late this year, Taylor said she is hopeful for good race weather.

“The success of the whole event is totally dependent on the weather,” she said, with race participation ranging in its first four years between 500 and 1,000 participants.

Proceeds from Bunny Palooza benefit individuals, groups, clubs and organizations in the QRCF service area. Over the past 15 years, the QRCF has awarded more than $600,000 to such groups, Taylor said.

Registration costs $40 for the 10K and $30 for the 5K; online registration ended April 12, and for those who pre-registered, race packets can be picked up at Mango’s restaurant on the boardwalk in Bethany Beach from noon to 4 p.m. on April 14. Onsite registration the day of the event will be available as long as the races have not sold out.

Volunteers are needed to help with water stops and other aspects of the races. Students looking for community service opportunities are welcome, Taylor said. For more information, call the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation at (302) 537-QRCF (7723) or visit Bunnypalooza.com.

While “every day is Earth Day” at the Bethany Beach Nature Center, Saturday, April 15, will be an extra-special day at the former Addy Cottage.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the center will host an early Earth Day celebration that director Nancy Lucy said will bring together entertainment and education in a way that is sure to please all its visitors.

The celebration builds on the success of last year’s Earth Day program and will again feature Eric Energy and his Science Spectacular, Lucy said, kicking off the day’s programs at 11 a.m. His interactive program will be followed by a musical performance by Crabmeat Thompson at 11:30 a.m. “Gleemania” will present “Every Day is Earth Day” at 12:30 p.m.

All of the shows encourage audience participation, whether that audience is 2 or 92. Lucy said the center’s goal is to have a celebration that everyone in the family can enjoy.

In addition to the performers, the Earth Day celebration will feature ongoing activities inside the Addy Cottage, as well as outside. Raffles, an open house, nature-themed crafts and live animals are among the activities planned, Lucy said. The Center for the Inland Bays and Envirotech will be on hand with informational displays. A special Earth Day movie, “Simon Says Save the Climate,” will be on a continuous loop inside the cottage.

Saturday’s Earth Day celebration is an extension of a wide range of regular programming at the nature center, which includes the Kids’ Nature Adventure activities each Saturday at 10:30 a.m., “Mystery Guest” on Wednesdays, garden activities on Thursdays and scavenger hunt/snack time on Fridays. In addition to those programs, the center also features wetland trails that offer a peek into an important ecosystem of the area.

At the Earth Day, event pizza slices from Grotto Pizza will be available “while they last,” Lucy said. She also suggested that visitors “honor Mother Earth and walk or ride your bike” to the center on Saturday, if possible.

The Bethany Beach Nature Center is located at 807 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach. For more information, call (302) 537-7680 or visit the Town’s website at www.townofbethanybeach.com/397/Nature-Center.

Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: For her years of service, Dee Burbage received tributes from state Rep. Ron Gray, left, and state Sen. Gerald Hocker on behalf of the Delaware State Legislature.Once, a Missouri man walked into South Bethany Town Hall, utterly lost. He had driven around for two hours, looking for the ocean. The staff were politely baffled. Finally, they asked if he had driven over the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

“Yes,” he said.

“Well, that was the ocean,” Town Clerk Dee Burbage replied.

For 33 years, Burbage has been the welcoming face at South Bethany Town Hall. On April 4, Deloris “Dee” Burbage retired from her position as town clerk.

Regardless of silly questions and sometimes cranky residents, Burbage has served the public for the past 33 years.

“You just learn to laugh with them or say, ‘OK — let me figure that out,’” Burbage said. “For the most part, people are nice.”

She was honored by the South Bethany Town Council with a farewell party and official commendation, praising her attendance record, hard work and “consistent dedication to the Town.”

Through it all, she’s had friends and coworkers by her side.

“It’s great. We have a good time,” Burbage said. “We just have fun. Everybody helps everybody.”

“She’s a great lady,” said Financial Director Renee McDorman said. “It’s going to be sad not to see her out front.”

“She’s fabulous,” said Administrative Assistant Pam Smith. “She comes in, she’s always in a great mood. She’s very dedicated.”

Having spent at least 12 years apiece at town hall, McDorman and Smith have shared many memorable moments with Burbage. They joked that she’s stubborn but has a big heart.

“She has so many people, if she’s not here … they say, ‘Where’s Dee?’ The townspeople really know her. Obviously, she’s been here 33 years. When she’s not here, they notice it,” Smith said. “She’ll be missed very much.”

A newspaper ad first brought Burbage to town. She was working in Sea Colony when the South Bethany position was advertised. She interviewed and was hired by then-Mayor Marge Gassinger the next day.

“I think I’ve done everything but maintenance,” Burbage joked.

“She’s been an important part of history of the town. She’s been a part of it and a witness to it at the same time,” said Mayor Pat Voveris. “We lose a lot of historical information when we lose her, but we certainly wish her the best and are very happy she’s got this exciting new chapter of her life.”

Besides her daily tasks and serving as “election guru,” Burbage has worked alongside town council members during major storms to keep residents and property owners informed.

“When I first came here, there wasn’t a whole lot of houses,” Burbage said. “We used to have little houses. Now we have monster houses.”

When she began, the police department was just two officers, and town hall was just a little house. Both have grown.

The town had just been incorporated in 1969 and had been operating primarily out of secretary May Felerski’s living room and front porch. Burbage was hired 15 years later, when administrator Kathy Charles insisted on having extra help to run the small town hall, built in 1978, then renovated in 2008.

Burbage became full-time within a few months, and the ladies demanded some modernization in the tiny building. They got a second typewriter and a new box of pencils, Burbage recalled with a laugh. She remembers when all tax bills were typed by hand and the mimeograph machine got ink everywhere.

Besides the ongoing issue of beach replenishment, Burbage also remembers when Grotto Pizza opened in York Beach Mall.

“The biggest issue was when Grotto’s came to town and wanted to serve alcohol,” she said. Citizens were so worried that it would damage the town on a moral level that they attended the town council meeting in droves. “They were probably out the door in a line, looking in the window. … It was just beer! It wasn’t anything else,” Burbage added with a laugh. “They can drink on the beach, so why can’t they drink at Grotto’s?”

The tiny seaside town has grown, although South Bethany has retained its determination to allow no new commercial zoning. She estimated that the town had around 500 homes when she started, versus perhaps 1,300 now.

Born in Ocean View, she attended Lord Baltimore School and has lived her whole life in coastal Delaware, except when her husband was stationed for three years in Oklahoma City, Okla. She grew up in the house that is now the Tunnel-West House museum in Ocean View. “We went and helped them put it back to the way it was” to resemble an earlier era, she noted.

That reminded her of an earlier time when kids rollerskated on the smoothest surface in town: the concrete-laid Route 26, which had much fewer cars than today.

“We’d play outside from sunup to sundown,” she said.

Although anyone who works in customer service is used to some abuse from the public, Burbage had experience with putting people in their place: she was a police officer and detective for six years in Ocean City, Md.

Her days as cop began on a lark.

“I saw an ad in the paper and somebody said, ‘I dare you to do that,’” Burbage recalled. “I said, ‘I can do that.’”

Although drugs were getting big at that time among the youth in downtown O.C., Burbage said, “It was fun. I loved it. … Then I got married, and that was the end of that.”

Her husband came from Philadelphia and worked in the U.S. Coast Guard station in Ocean City.

In her years growing up and living in coastal Delaware, Burbage hasn’t been completely impressed with the changes. She misses the open space of the rural fields and beach that have since been covered by housing developments. Rules and regulations followed.

“We didn’t have to pay to park to go to the beach,” Burbage recalled, and children played King-of-the-Hill on sand dunes.

“The people were friendly. Then, all of a sudden, they weren’t so friendly anymore,” she said.

But Burbage has never felt the need to live elsewhere.

“This is where I grew up,” said the Millville resident. That’s all there is to it.

The community honored Burbage’s last workdays with tributes from the South Bethany Town Council, Delaware Municipal Clerks Association and both chambers of the Delaware State Legislature.

Town officials recently announced the hiring of a new town manager, and the clerk position is currently being advertised.

“It’s the face of the town, and so we’re looking to fill those shoes with someone who’d be as service-oriented and friendly and helpful,” Voveris said.

Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: Jesus Christ’s disciples tell their stories in the ‘Living Last Supper’ performance at Millville U.M. Church. This year’s actors include, from left, Chuck Erbe, Rich Spina, George Townsend, Bob Heird, David Long, the Rev. Brad Schutt, Garland Saville, Joe Skinner, Richard Shoobridge, Lee Brubaker and Donald Maeby.Art and religion come to life in the “Living Last Supper,” the story of Jesus Christ’s disciples, which will be presented April 12 and 13 by Millville United Methodist Church.

The one-hour performance begins with Jesus revealing that one of his disciples will betray him. The men are startled into the pose of Leonardo da Vinci’s 1498 painting “The Last Supper.”

One by one, each of the apostles tells his story, about life beforehand and how Jesus personally impacted them. Audiences will hear their regrets and the moments that moved them.

“It explains to the people what the people went through when they met Jesus, … plus after he was crucified,” said Joe Skinner, who plays Phillip.

“It humanizes the character we’re playing. It brings them to life,” said Rich Spina, who plays Andrew.

His character talks about finding the boy with two fish and five loaves of bread, which came to feed the congregation on the mountain.

Each character tells his story, based directly from Bible verse, but in simpler language. These are brief tales, unlike a movie adaptation of a novel that attempts to add filler.

MUMC has performed the show for about five years, using both all-men and all-women casts.

“Basically, it’s all about keeping Jesus in the center of Easter,” said director Marianne Smith. “I mean, the Easter Bunny’s great, and eggs are great, but Jesus is the reason.”

“It makes the whole Last Supper come to life. I feel so much closer to the painting,” said Bob Heird, who plays Simon Peter.

“We’re telling what has happened in our life when we decided to follow Jesus. … Our lives are brought forward from beginning to end,” said Donald Maeby, who plays Simon the Zealot.

Most suffered martyrs’ deaths afterward. Most would do it again, too, according to the story.

Regarding Judas’ story, Smith simply said, “I hope you come, because he’ll bring you to tears.”

The cast encouraged everyone with curiosity about the apostles or questions about the Easter Holy Week to attend.

Shows are at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, April 12 and 13. Performances include hymn singing, prayer and communion. The hour-long event is free, but love offerings are welcome.

Millville U.M. Church is located at the corner of Route 26 and Club House Road. The address is 36405 Club House Road, Millville.

No, those won’t be the Northern Lights people will see in the heavens above Millsboro on Saturday, July 1. They will be fireworks.

The Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Millsboro Stars & Stripes, a patriotic celebration of all things Independence Day, and everyone is invited.

“We want this to be a multi-community event — not just for those from Millsboro,” explained Amy Simmons, director of the Chamber. “We are inviting everyone from the area, as well as people down for vacation. Everyone is welcome.”

The epicenter of the celebration will be Cupola Park, and it will kick off at 6 p.m. There will be food vendors, and D.J. Sky Brady will provide entertainment until the Brothers Pyro start the fireworks show around 9 p.m.

Millsboro Stars & Stripes will replace the Chamber’s previous summer community event, the Boro Bash.

“We’ve been talking about trying to do fireworks for years,” explained Simmons. “But we just can’t pull off working on two events at once. We’re excited to do the fireworks this year.”

Obviously, an event of this magnitude takes both effort and resources. In the latter vein, the Chamber has a couple of fundraisers coming up to help meet the costs.

On Sunday, April 30, the Chamber is hosting Stars & Strikes, a bowling fundraiser at Millsboro Lanes, from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost of this event is $100 to sponsor a lane, $100 for a team or $175 to sponsor a lane and field a team. There will be door prizes, and shoe rentals and pizza given to attendees, in addition to the bowling itself.

On Wednesday, May 10, there will be a Paint Nite fundraiser at the Millsboro fire hall at 7 p.m. The cost is $45 per person, and attendees will get wine, finger-foods and sweets, in addition to the supplies they will need to paint a patriotic scene that includes fireworks bursting over a red-, white-and-blue sky, with a picturesque water scene underneath it.

The Chamber is taking reservations for that event up until Wednesday, April 26.

To reserve a spot in either of these events, call Amy Simmons at the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce at (302) 934-6777. Simmons said she can process credit card information on the spot.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” And for the Ocean View Historical Society, the preservation of history is important when looking to the future.

“History tells our story. It reminds us of the past — the bad and the good. We can learn from both of those things that occurred with our ancestors,” said Carol Psaros, the outgoing president of the society, whose incoming leader is Ocean View resident and society member Barbara Slavin.

“We can learn from both of those things that occurred with our ancestors, and it can point us toward a better future. As with any community, there are so many stories that are worthy of being told that people can not only learn from but be inspired by, and help them move forward in a more energetic way — and in a more community-oriented way sometimes, too.”

The mission of the Ocean View Historical Society is to preserve and share the rich history of the towns of the Baltimore Hundred. Over the years, the society has developed a historical complex, located next to John West Park, which includes the Tunnell-West House, an 1860s outhouse and functioning water pump — which would have been the sole source of water for the home until the early 1930s — and a recreation of Cecile Steele’s 1923 chicken house, where the broiler chicken industry was launched.

On Saturday, April 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m., the society will host a dedication and yard party for its newest addition — the Evans-West House.

Located at 40 West Avenue, adjacent to the town park, the home was donated to the historical society by Carolyn Brunner and her son, Dan McCann.

The 1901 cross-gabled home will be open for touring, and officials will unveil the home’s National Register of Historic Places plaque.

“We’ve invited the world,” said Psaros, adding that the society has invited a number of state officials, including Gov. John Carney.

“We’re going to unveil the national historic register plaque, and we’re going to talk about our vision for the Coastal Towns Museum. Then we’ll let people walk through the house, which is pretty much just as the wonderful owners left it to us. They can see how historic it is when they go inside. It is a historic building. The grounds will be open; the barn will be open. Hopefully, we’ll be outside on the lawn, because we’re calling this a ‘yard party.’”

The event is rain or shine, and there will be a tent set up on the property in case of inclement weather.

Local businesses Banks Wines & Spirits, Beach Bakrie, Big Fish Grill, DiFebo’s, Mio Fratello, Misaki Sushi, Morning Buns, Nantuckets, Off the Hook Restaurant Group, Perucci’s, Sedona, The Café on 26, the Cottage Café and Three Blonde Bakers have donated food to help cater the event.

Interiors by Kim is allowing attendees to park in their lot, free of charge. Additional parking is available in the Town’s three parking lots surrounding the town hall.

“The restaurants have been most generous, as well as other businesses, who have supported us with either in-kind donations or by their encouragement.”

Formally known as the Evans-West House: A Coastal Towns Museum, the structure will one day feature the history of the towns of Baltimore Hundred, including the communities of Millville, Clarksville, Bayard, Muddy Neck, Cedar Neck, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island and Roxana.

“We’re going to try to make the museum an inclusive historical picture. We’re going to try to do a better job of telling the story of our Native Americans and our African-Americans, which we sometimes don’t talk about.

“We’ve been working with representatives from many of the local towns to organize ideas about how we might plan a museum,” said Psaros. “We’ve discussed what kinds of themes we want in the house. We’ll have one section that will be a rotating exhibit and change. We’ll have other exhibits that are representative on Baltimore Hundred but could be focused on land or the sea or weather events… There’s just a million different things. We definitely want it to be an interactive museum as much as possible.”

Psaros said the society hopes to open the house to the public as a museum by next spring, if possible.

“We’ll be canvasing everybody to encourage them to make a donation to the Coastal Towns Museum,” she said. “Right now, we’re really just celebrating the concept and celebrating this generous gift from Carolyn Brunner and her son Dan McCann.”

The society has a number of other historically-focused events happening in the coming months. On Saturday, May 20, Norman Justice will host an Antique Trunk History Mix.

Psaros, who is the author of “Chickens & Mosquitoes: The Art of Uncertain Times,” will be sharing the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Sussex County during the Depression on Wednesday, May 24.

On Saturday, June 17, there will be a Civil War reenactment at the historical complex.

“They’ll set up some equipment and talk to people about what it was like to participate on both sides of the war.”

Another large project the society has undertaken is to build the Halls Store Visitor & Education Center, which would be built next to the chicken coop replica.

At the April 22 event, community members can not only enjoy what the historical society has brought to the community but take an active role in preserving their towns’ histories.

The society has about 155 paid members and is always looking for new members. At the yard party, there will be a table set up with membership information, if community members wish to join.

The society is also accepting donations toward renovating the home.

“We hope that, over time, we’ll be able to raise the funds one way or another, through donations, through grants, through gifts… We’re just now getting estimates on what it might cost to recondition this old house with proper lighting and whatnot to make it safe for the public — you know, there are some things we have to do to turn it into a public museum. We’re just now costing those things out. We know for sure we’ll need $100,000 to do it, and possibly more.”

Psaros said the society is excited to have the community get a glimpse of the Evans-West House at the event.

“It’s pretty much original, the way it was in 1901,” she said. “It’s truly amazing that the family though enough of history to preserve it in this way.”

The Evans-West House is located at 40 West Avenue in Ocean View. To learn more about the society or to make a donation, visit www.ovhistoricalsociety.org. The Tunnell-West House is located at 39 Central Avenue in Ocean View. John West Park is located at 32 West Avenue in Ocean View. For more information, visit ovhistoricalsociety.org or www.facebook.com/oceanviewhistoricalsociety.

It’s about a 2-mile walk from Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church in Ocean View to the Bethany Beach boardwalk, but on Friday, April 14, a trek from one to the other represents a faith tradition more than 2,000 years old.

Started about 10 years ago by the CRASH youth group at Mariner’s Bethel, the annual Cross Walk has grown each year, according to Christina Wilson, youth ministries director at the church.

“We were talking together as a group about what we could do,” Wilson said, and the cross walk was born. “We came up with the idea of walking the cross down to the beach.”

What started as a gathering of about 25 or 30 has grown to around 175 people traversing from the church, east on Route 26 to Bethany Beach.

During the walk, the large, heavy cross is carried by six to eight people at a time. While Wilson said she doesn’t know how much it weighs, she said it is too tall to be stood up in the church, so she estimates that it’s about 12 feet tall.

The walk itself takes about an hour, and Wilson said that in recent years about 100 people have participated in the actual carrying of the cross at some point along the journey. Once at the beach, she said, the cross is placed in the sand, and anyone who wants to may stand on a pedestal at the foot of the cross.

“It’s just a beautiful sight,” she said of the procession, which re-enacts the walk that Christians believe Jesus Christ took on his way to Calvary before his crucifixion. The work that it takes to carry the cross for those 2 miles “just really puts it into perspective that Christ was carrying it on his own. We still don’t have that great of an understanding of what he went through,” Wilson said, but the Mariner’s cross walk seeks to at least represent part of that.

Once the crowd arrives at the beach with the cross, Wilson said, “We do a time of meditation and praise and worship, and then we share lunch together, which is provided by the church.”

Over the years, Wilson said, the cross walk has become a beloved tradition for which families come together.

“It’s become just a mix of generations,” in addition to the youth group with which it originated. “People come from out of town just to be here for it,” she said.

Anyone is welcome to join the Mariner’s Bethel cross walk. Walkers will gather in the church sanctuary at 10 a.m. for a short talk. The walk takes about an hour, and after the gathering at the beach, the cross will be walked back to the church, returning around 2 p.m. Wilson said, “There are always fewer walkers on the way back, which makes it harder.”

She said reaction from passersby to the walk is always “for the most part, positive,” adding that she often sees people making the sign of the cross in their cars as they pass, “It’s really neat to see that,” she said.

For more information on the Mariner’s Bethel Cross walk, call Christina Wilson at the church, at (302) 539-9510. Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church is located at 81 Central Avenue, Ocean View.

The residents of Ocean View will not have a town tax increase this year, after the town council unanimously approved its 2018-fiscal-year budget at its Tuesday meeting with no tax increase involved.

The budget approval came following a final budget workshop last Thursday, April 6, at which the council reviewed its fifth budget draft for the year.

“First and foremost, it’s our job and duty as a town council to produce a responsible budget, one that seems to keep within the reasonable ability of the taxpayers to financially support. Everything else is secondary to that premise,” said Mayor Walter Curran at the Thursday workshop.

But Curran said the future growth projected for the town is limited, and the Town needs to plan for the waning of real estate transfer tax revenue.

“That gives us reduced revenues and essentially a finite population… Given those two factors, we recognize that Ocean View is a small town.”

Curran also addressed concerns that the Town’s police department may be overstaffed.

“People have said we have a disproportionately large police department. That’s not true. We have exactly what we need because this council and prior councils said we absolutely want 24-7 coverage.”

The revised budget draft included salary adjustments for employees, which had been discussed at a previous meeting.

Earlier this year, the Town reviewed a compensation survey completed by consultants Hendricks & Associates (who also conducted a full salary study for the Town in 2012), which found the Town’s salaries to be below market comparison.

In Hendricks’ most recent presentation to the council, the consultants recommended allotting 6 percent of all employee salaries to make appropriate adjustments to the salaries of those employees whose compensation falls below the mark.

The Town’s personnel costs account for 70 percent of the Town’s budget, which he said is not a bad thing.

“It is what it is,” he said, noting that the Town is currently understaffed by one person in the maintenance and administrative departments, with staff looking to streamline work.

“It’s very common for service-type industries to have about 70 percent of their budgets go to salaries,” added Finance Director Sandra Peck.

With the council focusing on salary adjustments this year, Curran said they were merely trying to fix a perceived wrong.

The council met with all department heads prior to the workshop, to discuss the performance of employees and the salaries they believed should be raised. Once adjusted salary was agreed to for an employee, a new salary midpoint was calculated.

Peck said the adjustment to salaries was $93,460 in all, noting that raises ranged from 3.3 percent to 24.8 percent.

“Two out of 22 employees are not recommended to receive a salary adjustment — only the merit, due to being at the proper placement in the range… Four out of 22 increases are in excess of 22 percent.”

Peck added that she wants to come back to the council after budget season to discuss the Hendricks method.

“As with any salary administration, not one of them is perfect. Not one’s liked by all… I can poke holes in and argue the pros and cons of any plan out there. That said, this is what we’re using today.

“I would like to be given time after the budget is passed to continue to get comfortable with all of the aspects of the aspects of the Hendricks method. I’ll then come back, share my opinions — pros and cons — and any recommendations I may have.”

Peck said it is also very important for the council to start the budget process earlier in the year.

The council asked Public Works Director Charles McMullen and Police Chief Ken McLaughlin how they felt about the salary adjustments.

“Am I completely happy with everything? No, nobody’s completely happy with everything” said McMullen. “First off, I’d like to thank all of you for undertaking this… You’re trying to pick up and take care of the sins of the past.”

McMullen said that he hopes that if Peck determines that something else could’ve been done, the council will take action.

“I walked away from the table thinking they gave it their best effort,” he said.

Councilman Frank Twardzik asked if McMullen’s employees will be happy with the salary changes.

“In all honesty, I think my people are going to understand what I tell them… Will they be totally happy? No. I think they’ll be appeased. Some of them will be extremely happy.”

“The study didn’t fail us. We failed the study,” added McLaughlin. “The employees were well aware we failed it once, failed it twice. I think, to be honest… it would’ve become an issue as far as retention goes.

“I’m hoping that we’ve got a handle on this so I’m not going to have to be worried about replacing staff in the coming years.”

The Town’s five-year outlook listed drainage projects as unfunded; however, those projects will be added once easements are acquired. Monies will be found to make those improvements, and the council can vote on a budget amendment.

McMullen asked the council to consider a drainage trust fund, similar to the Town’s Street Repair & Maintenance Trust Fund, so the Town could be saving for those repairs and future repairs.

Projected in the 2019 fiscal year is a 10 percent tax increase, which would bring in an additional $138,188 to the Town’s coffers. Peck broke down the figure, stating that, for a home assessed at $300,000, that increase would equate to $49.56 per year, or $4.13 per month.

McMullen added that, if long-term tax increases are necessary, he recommends the council look into a larger one-time tax increase.

“I find it better to be hit in the head once with a 100 percent tax increase than to get kicked in the shins once every year.”

“I think that’s very sound logic,” responded Curran. “You’re right on target. The 10 percent we have now, when we look at the dollars and impact, it’s not a lot of money. But, worse than that, it’s not a lot of money to help us fix our problems. The answer is, we’re going in that direction, but that’s for discussion starting early next fall.”

At the April 11 meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve the annual operating budget for the 2018 fiscal year, as well as an ordinance to establish the Five-Year Capital Improvement Program.

Also at the April 11 meeting:

• Gary Meredith resigned as chairman and member of the Ocean View Planning & Zoning Commission, due to health reasons. The Town has received a letter of interest from Steve Micciche, who has actively served the community in a variety of ways, including in the CAP program and as a Millville Volunteer, and served on Country Village’s Board of Directors.

• McLaughlin noted that the department will be hosting a state-wide training seminar at Bear Trap Dunes on April 18 and 19.

• McLaughlin said he had met with DelDOT officials regarding the Ocean to Bay Bike Tour on April 29. Central Avenue is usually part of the tour’s route; however, due to a pipe failure last month, part of the roadway is closed.

“They indicated it will not be done by the end of the month or several weeks after, weather dependent.”

• The Town was recently recognized as a 2016 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

A forgotten underground fuel tank in Selbyville was discovered to be leaking gasoline, officials reported this week.

On Tuesday, April 11, Chesapeake Utilities was digging for a natural-gas line when workers exposed the saturated soil and tank.

By Wednesday morning, the entirety of the tank hadn’t yet been uncovered, so it could be any size or age. There’s also no telling how far the gasoline may have spread underground.

Councilman Richard “Rick” Duncan Sr. said the tank was located at 79 W. Church Street, at the corner of Baker Alley, which used to be a car dealership and, later, a beauty salon.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control sent a hazardous-materials team to the site, and the agency’s tank management section will also provide leadership in dealing with the issue.

On Tuesday night, the site was covered with plastic and new soil to prevent the pungent gasoline odor from seeping upward.

DNREC officials were unable to comment with further details before the Coastal Point’s press deadline on Wednesday, but workers were on-site that morning.

It’s too early to say just who will pay for remediation.

DNREC could remove the tank completely, Duncan said. Or, they could simply remove the gasoline and contaminated soil, but leave the tank itself underground and out of the way.

“The Town, on our side, we’d like to see it removed,” Duncan said.

Duncan wondered if the tank was actually the hazard that the Town of Selbyville has been looking for. The Town and State have been trying to determine the source of groundwater contaminants — particularly gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

However, there could be other unknown variables or other gas tanks still contributing to the contamination.

While visiting Selbyville in 2016, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) explained that, decades ago, the government had successfully reduced smog by requiring that MTBE be added to gasoline. But modern science is still learning how MTBE contaminants behave and affect groundwater.

Selbyville has received more than $3 million in state and federal funding to build a second water plant that uses evaporation to strip MTBE and other volatile organics from the water. The plant should be completed by late May.

Although this leak isn’t considered an emergency, like a full-blown gusher would be, Town Hall doesn’t want to take any chances. After digging new wells, only to find hints of further contamination, the Selbyville Town Council are feeling very protective of the town’s drinking water.

Matthew BurtonOn Wednesday, April 5, Dagsboro resident Matthew Burton admitted to having committed the rape and murder of Nicole Bennett nearly five years ago.

As reported by the Cape Gazette newspaper, Delaware Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley asked Burton if he raped and murdered Bennett.

“Yes,” replied Burton.

Burton, who was 28 at the time of the murder, is now 33. Last week, he pled guilty to second-degree murder, being sentenced to 40 years, suspended after 15 years, and second-degree rape, for which he was sentenced to 25 years, also suspended after 15.

As a result, Burton will serve a total of 30 years in a Level 5 prison facility, with credit for time served, after which he will serve 20 years on probation.

The trial, which was expected to begin in June, had experienced numerous delays and two extradition trials, as Bennett’s body was found in Maryland, just over the Delaware border, and he was initially held in Maryland, where he fought extradition to Delaware.

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

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

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

Her body was later discovered on Swamp Road near Whaleyville in Worchester County, Md., on an embankment that slopes down from the roadway. An autopsy found that Bennett had been murdered and that the cause of her death was asphyxiation.

Burton, who was a Tier 1 “low-risk” sex offender at the time of Bennett’s murder, had allegedly not disclosed his offender status to Bay Shore Community Church at the time of his hiring there as a contract custodial employee. Following church officials’ discovery of sex-offender status, his employment at the church was to be terminated, to be effective June 16, the day after Bennett’s murder.

Bennett is survived by her husband, Kevin, and their three daughters, now 16, 13 and 6.

The Indian River School District is making budget reductions, from administrative positions down to performing arts.

The board of education has begun voting on budget cuts for the 2018 fiscal year. Although the official budget won’t be approved until June, they’ve begun planning.

Superintendent Mark Steele’s three-part proposal includes leaving a number of administrative positions empty, including both assistant superintendent spots.

IRSD can also “cash in” some administrative positions. Most items come from a mix of state and local money. So IRSD saves local money, but gets to keep state money for leaving several job positions empty, including two assistant superintendents, two directors, two supervisors, two assistant principals.

But by also cutting support staff budgets, IRSD saves $1,006,411.

“I said I was going to trim… We’re about down to bare bones,” Steele said this week. “We think that’s a good savings.”

At the central office, the extra work will be spread among the remaining administrators.

“My directors — we’re all having to pick up extra things. Jan [Steele]’s going to pick up technology. The investigative unit goes to Celeste [Hudson]. … I keep Buildings & Grounds,” Steele said. “Those duties kind of got spread.”

Steele also saved the district money by virtue of having fewer years of experience than the district’s last superintendent, so his salary starts on a lower scale.

Programs funding was reduced by $215,178.

Operational/discretionary budget cuts, which were also discussed in March, were amended to only cut $1,414,097.

After parents and student spoke out against cuts to non-athletic Extra Pay for Extra Responsibilities (EPER), the board agreed to reduce that by only $135,000, rather than eliminating the whole $225,000 budget. Advisors for marching band and drama still get EPER pay, as do professional groups required by the curriculum, such as Business Professionals of America.

But IRSD staff did not say which clubs and programs will be impacted by the cuts.

The board made other changes to the instructional budget and operational/discretionary budget cuts they favored in March.

The IRSD can save money in some places by scaling back on some training, asking families to chip in for special academic programs, changing the funding sources or applying for grants.

Some things were completely eliminated, including new athletic uniforms.

Although most of the plans were unanimously approved, Board Members Doug Hudson and Heather Statler voted against the instructional, operations/discretionary and administrative cut packages.

“I was looking for steeper reductions within administration, along with a tiered priority proposal of non-instructional areas. I was disappointed that all programs and services were not evaluated. … No area should have been left out in the discussion. Hence, I could not support the plan,” Statler stated afterwards.

“Cutting instructional components is not my first choice. I understand that the district is facing a very difficult time, and I hope to be able to offer continued guidance on ways to achieve the best outcomes for our students.”

After spring break, the Board of Education’s next regular meeting is Monday, April 24, at 7 p.m. at Sussex Central High School. The board will begin looking at enrollment and staff projections.

Teaching staff were not discussed

The school board made no decisions this week on para-educators or teaching positions for the 2017-2018 school year. By contract, the board has until May 15 to decide and notify staff who might not have their contracts renewed.

But some members of the public had heard about the administration’s idea of eliminating para-educators (essentially, teaching assistants) to hire a smaller number of actual teachers.

Employee Traci Makowski had a problem with that.

“How are three teachers going to do the work of eight paras? How are they physically going to do that?” asked Makowski, describing the private tutoring, class supervision and support that paras provide throughout the day, especially while teachers are in the front of the classroom, writing lesson plans or in other meetings.

“Look at the paras you have here to tonight and see they aren’t just a number or a name on a piece of paper. These are paras who have families and responsibilities, just like you, who have dedicated their personal and professional life to the Indian River School District. … We did as asked, and we overwhelmingly passed the referendum. We are now asking for your help to keep para jobs,” she said, amid cheers from the audience.

State decides the budget

Schools across the state are in the same boat, Steele said. Everyone is worried about the State approving major cuts this summer. The IRSD was expecting the first $1.2 million cut, but not the $300,000 for transportation, $38,000 for energy costs and, most desperately, $2.2 in education sustainment cuts, which pays IRSD salaries through the tight summer months, before local taxes arrive in autumn.

Those losses will be even more critical for other school districts.

Across the state, schools may not know where they stand until the Delaware General Assembly approve the budget, likely on June 30.

“Contact your state senators and state representatives, who are the ones wanting to cut educational funding to us and having us make these decisions,” Board Member James “Jim” Fritz told the crowd. “Take the same energy and contact them immediately.”

“We need your help,” Steele wants people to know.

Citizen questions

openness of meetings

Also during public comments, Bob Maloney accused the board of meeting secretly: “There are things called sunshine laws, Freedom of Information Acts. You have grossly violated all of them.” He scolded the board for not including a public comments section on the April 10 agenda and not posting documents that were discussed.

“You people better know what your responsibilities are. The public has a right to speak, to see, et cetera, et cetera. You cannot deny it to us,” Maloney said.

Steele said the April 10 meeting was intended as a workshop, but when people came forward to speak, the board had added public comments.

Board President Charles Bireley usually moves almost all budget discussions to executive session (with board approval) because, he said, the discussions impact individuals’ jobs or job responsibilities.

However, the actual votes to approve a course of action are made in public, generally after the executive session has concluded.

Individual staff contracts weren’t part of many budget items on April 10 (instruction or discretionary items, plus already-empty administrative positions). However, administrators moving or cuts to support staff did roll into the broader package, which is why everything was discussed at once in closed executive session, Steele said.

Ultimately, it’s the board’s decision, by majority vote, to enter and exit executive session.

The Delaware State Code’s open meeting law lists all the circumstances under which a board may keep information private, including:

(1)?Discussion of an individual citizen’s qualifications to hold a job or pursue training unless the citizen requests that such a meeting be open.

(2)?Preliminary discussions on site acquisitions for any publicly funded capital improvements, or sales or leases of real property;

(3) Activities of any law-enforcement agency in its efforts to collect information leading to criminal apprehension;

(4)?Strategy sessions, including those involving legal advice or opinion from an attorney-at-law, with respect to collective bargaining or pending or potential litigation, but only when an open meeting would have an adverse effect on the bargaining or litigation position of the public body;

(5)?Discussions which would disclose the identity of the contributor of a bona fide and lawful charitable contribution to the public body whenever public anonymity has been requested of the public body with respect to said contribution by the contributor;

(6)?Discussion of the content of documents, excluded from the definition of “public record” … where such discussion may disclose the contents of such documents;

(7)?The hearing of student disciplinary cases unless the student requests a public hearing;

(8)?The hearing of employee disciplinary or dismissal cases unless the employee requests a public hearing; and

(9)?Personnel matters in which the names, competency and abilities of individual employees or students are discussed, unless the employee or student requests that such a meeting be open.