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Flute & Lute make it a musical evening

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Coastal Point • Submitted: Mark Marvel and Phoebe Walls play serene sounds in the new musical duo Flute & Lute.Coastal Point • Submitted: Mark Marvel and Phoebe Walls play serene sounds in the new musical duo Flute & Lute.How about a little night music? Flute & Lute is a new musical duo adding ambiance to special events. Flute & Lute is available for restaurants, private parties and wedding ceremonies. The musicians are guitarist Mark Marvel and flutist Phoebe Walls.

“A lot of wedding ceremonies use flute and guitar,” Marvel said. “It’s just beautiful together, especially [with] guitar playing the chords, flute playing the melody. It’s beautiful. … It’s real popular.”

The pair will be in the dining room at Doyle’s restaurant in Selbyville on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

It’s all instrumental — no singing. Some songs are classical, including Bach and Pachelbel, and others are classics, such as “Beyond the Sea” and “Moon River.” The musicians sway from the Beatles to the gentle ballads of John Denver and Celine Dion.

“Every once in a while, you play a song that hits a chord with somebody, and they set down the knife and fork and applaud,” Marvel said.

Otherwise, it’s pleasant background music to elevate a dinner or party.

After teaching countless high-schoolers in his 32 years in education, Marvel now teaches all ages in private music lessons. Meanwhile, he still rocks with more of his former students in the rock cover band Over Time, found on local stages most weekends.

“I’ve gigged with people in the past with flute and guitar,” Marvel said. “Phoebe and I were talking about it, thought it might be fun.”

Walls is currently a music major at the University of Delaware. Under Marvel’s direction in high school, Walls played flute and sang, branching into oboe and bass guitar. She was a drum major at Indian River High School before graduating in 2015.

“She’s a really good musician, and I thought it would be a really good combination to work together,” Marvel said.

For booking information, contact Mark Marvel at (302) 249-1799.


Future Coastal Towns Museum to be featured on house tour

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Coastal Point • Submitted: The Evans West house, built around 1901, is the future home of the Coastal Towns Museum in Ocean View and will be featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural tour of historic homes on Oct. 7.Coastal Point • Submitted: The Evans West house, built around 1901, is the future home of the Coastal Towns Museum in Ocean View and will be featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural tour of historic homes on Oct. 7.As the century turned toward 1900, Ocean View newlywed Mary West Evans was given a piece of land on the corner of West and Oakwood Avenues by her father, Captain George H. West, who lived across the field (now a town park) in the Tunnell-West House, which was built circa 1850.

Mary West Evans and her husband, James Evans, a surfman at the Fenwick Island Lifesaving Station, built the stately gothic house, featuring pointed windows, angular roofline and corbels on the porch. It will be among the historic homes in the area featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural Coastal Towns Historic Homes Tour on Saturday, Oct. 7.

The State of Delaware’s historic preservationists have dubbed the home “The Downton Abbey of Ocean View” because of its classic Victorian style, masterful woodworking, etched glass window on the original front door and other marvelously preserved features.

In addition to the two-story house, tourgoers will be able to peer through one of the oldest barns in Sussex County and the original woodhouse. An outhouse, a chicken house, water pump and fenced area for the family horse and cow, no longer present, were standard features of early Ocean View homesteads.

Captain West’s wedding gift of land to his daughter Mary was one he also made to his other seven children, which is why today there are a plethora of old Ocean View homes on land that was once the West family farm.

Limited tickets for the Coastal Towns Historic Homes Tour on Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. are on sale at the Ellen Rice Gallery on Route 26 in Ocean View, at Made By Hand on Route 1 in South Bethany and online at www.ovhistoricalsociety.org. Tickets cost $20 for OVHS members or $30 for non-members. Proceeds will benefit the evolving Coastal Towns Museum and Hall’s Store Visitor & Education Center.

Celebrity Chef’s Beach Brunch to benefit Meals on Wheels

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Aromas and tastes of culinary brunch dishes and beverages will soon fill the Rusty Rudder in Dewey Beach as chefs from 25 coastal restaurants prepare their specialties.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1, Meals on Wheels Delaware will be encouraging people of all ages to celebrate the 15th annual Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch to savor brunch items, socialize with friends and family and learn about Meals on Wheels’ mission — providing sustenance to nourish homebound Delaware seniors.

At stations inside and outside the venue, chefs from Salt Air, Bethany Blues, Java Jukebox, Maggie’s Premium Bakery, Big Fish Grill Rehoboth, Crust & Craft, Crooked Hammock Brewery, Mispillion River Brewing and more will serve food and drink to the anticipated 500 guests.

“We have some incredible chefs,” said Marketing & Design Coordinator Jennifer Halliday. “The food they prepare is always amazing.”

Restaurant owners will each provide one item of food, while beverage providers will share cocktails, beer or wine. With the variety of samplings available, guests may serve themselves.

“Guests will just walk up to the tables, grab what they want and be able to go mingle throughout the rest of the event,” Halliday said.

Nicole Bailey, chairman of the Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch, said Meals on Wheels Delaware has given the participating chefs the freedom to choose which items they want to prepare.

“Some people stay really true to brunch,” Bailey said. “Other people have different specialties that they like to show off, so we really leave it to the restaurant.”

With the diversity of dishes offered, event planners said they hope brunch guests are able to appreciate the privilege of choosing from a large selection of food.

“We like to do food-related events because it reminds people of the fact that, while we have all these options of food for you to choose from, Delaware seniors aren’t as lucky,” Halliday said.

Cooking and serving their items on a volunteer basis, the restaurants and breweries are helping support Meals on Wheels Delaware’s mission of serving Delaware seniors, she said.

To accompany the brunch, event organizers have also planned a silent and live auction for guests to win prizes, including golfing excursions, gift cards from local restaurants, custom license plates from the DMV and more.

The live auction will begin at 1 p.m., but the silent auction will be open throughout the brunch for individuals to bid on items.

“There is a space in the Rudder where items are laid out, and people will be able to walk around and look at them,” Halliday said.

As event participants sample new brunch items and bid on prizes, they will also be able to try seasonal beers from the event’s second annual beer garden.

“The beer garden has a different selection of beer, where you get to walk around and try all of the samples,” Halliday said.

Throughout the Beach Brunch, D.J. Man and Bettenroo will also be playing music.

In order to partake in the brunch, individuals must first purchase a ticket for $75 at eventbrite.com or mealsonwheelsde.org. If a group of people with six or more guests wants to attend the brunch, they will receive a discount price of $60 per ticket. People ages 21 to 40 can purchase the Young Professional ticket for $60, but they must bring a form of identification to the venue with them.

All of the proceeds made from the tickets will benefit Meals on Wheels Delaware and five other meal-providing agencies so that they can continue serving Delaware seniors’ physical and emotional needs.

“Meals on Wheels Delaware is a fundraising agency, and the funds are then allocated to meal delivery programs throughout the state,” Halliday said.

The five other agencies include CITY Fare and St. Anthony Center in Wilmington and New Castle County, Newark Senior Center in the Newark Area, Modern Maturity Center in Kent County, CHEER in Sussex County and Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth in Sussex County.

Together, the agencies deliver meals to 4,000 homebound seniors every day throughout the state of Delaware while also providing companionship. Last year, thousands of volunteers from corporations, and civic, community and religious groups served 727,000 meals.

Some of those volunteers with Meals on Wheels Delaware will be working and supervising the Beach Brunch, along with the staff of the organization. To volunteer at the event, individuals can sign up on the organization’s website.

Launched in 1996, Meals on Wheels Delaware strives to assist seniors so that they can live independently, healthily and safely. For Meals on Wheels Delaware employees and volunteers, the Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch is intended to inform participants about the nonprofit organization and raise awareness about Delaware seniors and the struggles they undergo.

“It’s one of the best events put on down here at the beach, and in the meantime, they’re giving back to the local community and supporting a cause,” Bailey said about event participants.

Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch event organizers and workers said they hope guests will leave the event with the motivation to help reduce food insecurity among Delaware seniors while also enjoying one last taste of the beach after summer has ended.

“I want them to have a great time,” Halliday said. “I want them to be able to experience all of the different chef offerings and beverages. I want them to, hopefully, win something they enjoy from the auction.

“First and foremost, we want them to walk away knowing the message of Meals on Wheels Delaware and realizing the hunger struggles that seniors go through.”

Nanticoke Powwow set to celebrate fourth decade

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Coastal Point • File Photo: Dancers from all over the country gather to dance during last year’s Nanticoke Indian Powwow.Coastal Point • File Photo: Dancers from all over the country gather to dance during last year’s Nanticoke Indian Powwow.Dancers and vendors will travel from all over the country to Millsboro for the Nanticoke Indian Tribe’s 40th Annual Powwow on Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10.

The theme for this year’s powwow is “The sacred fire that continues to burn within us.”

“We are celebrating our elders before us, those walking now and the generations to come,” said Nanticoke Indian Association Secretary Kayleigh Vickers.

The powwow is a family reunion for the Nanticoke tribe.

“We get to practice, see people and do things, traditionally, emotionally and spiritually, that we don’t always get to do,” said Vickers.

The powwow also serves to raise awareness and educate the public about the Nanticoke tribe and Native American heritage.

“The powwow provides education for the public and clarity for us,” Vickers said.

Even though many travel for the powwow, there is a strong local presence. Between 100 and 150 of the approximately 250 dancers who participate in the powwow are from Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, said Vickers. Additionally, three or four of the craft and food vendors at the event are local. The rest of the approximately 40 vendors are from along the East Coast and as far away as New Mexico.

The powwow grounds will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Grand entry on Saturday will be held at noon, and there will be a second dance session at 4 p.m. The Native American crafts and food vendors will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Sunday will be kicked off with a worship service at 10 a.m. The grand entry on Sunday will occur at 1:30 p.m. The vendors will open at noon on Sunday.

Admission each day costs $5 per person for those older than 12. Parking and admission for those 12 or younger is free. Handicapped attendees with wheelchairs may enter the powwow grounds on Mount Joy Road. Unless otherwise directed, handicapped attendees who normally use the general parking area should plan on continuing to use that parking area. There will be special handicapped seating available at the powwow.

The powwow grounds are located in a wooded area off of Route 24 (John J. Williams Highway). There will be signs posted along Route 24 between Route 113 and Route 1. For more information, call (302) 945-7022.

Green thumbs give a boost to South Bethany canals

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Coastal Point photos • Tyler Valliant: Participants in South Bethany’s Annual Adopt-A-Canal End Contest pose for a photo at one of the canal ends.Coastal Point photos • Tyler Valliant: Participants in South Bethany’s Annual Adopt-A-Canal End Contest pose for a photo at one of the canal ends.South Bethany is rewarding green behavior. For seven years now, the Annual Adopt-A-Canal End Contest has encouraged residents and property owners to help beautify their little corners of town, for the benefit of all.

Canal ends can be pleasant spots to rest and enjoy the water (from the land), so the Community Enhancement Committee encourages people to create small gardens, which then compete in a summertime beauty contest. Although there were only three winners, many volunteers dedicated hundreds of hours of hard work to landscape 34 different canal ends throughout town.

Lord’s Landscaping joined the winners and town officials on Aug. 18 to present gift certificates to the winning three.

Winners were (first place) Bryant and Olivia Elrod, (second place) Phil and Cicily Iacangelo and (third place) Rich and Sue Juliano.

A memorial bench already faced the canal at their spot, but the Elrods added flowering bushes, native plants, a small bird sculpture and a walkable gravel surface to the Route 1 canal end between Sussex Place and Tern Drive.

Jayne’s Reliable to host event featuring celebrity DIYers

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Special to the Coastal Point • Christina Weaver : David and Karen Jayne sit at one of Karen Murray’s re-finished pieces of vintage furniture with pots of Debi’s Design Diary paint.Special to the Coastal Point • Christina Weaver : David and Karen Jayne sit at one of Karen Murray’s re-finished pieces of vintage furniture with pots of Debi’s Design Diary paint.Excitement is building at Jayne’s Reliable in Dagsboro.

In less than two weeks, Karen and David Jayne will be hosting a major DIY (do-it-yourself) event featuring YouTube sensation Debi Beard, known in the DIY world from Debi’s Design Diary.

Also present will be Josie Celio and Sally Griswold, the sisters who own Iron Orchid Designs, and Dionne Woods from Turquoise Iris. These names are celebrities amongst the many people who delight in painting, decorating and repurposing vintage and reclaimed furniture and architectural salvage.

Jayne’s Reliable has been selected from stores around the country that sell Debi’s Design Diary’s paint to hold its second DIY Traveling Show & Marketplace on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We are thrilled,” said Karen Jayne. “I attended Debi’s first one at her shop in Solana Beach, Calif. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much. It’s a huge honor for us, located in small-town Delaware, to have been chosen. We can’t wait for our customers and DIY enthusiasts in our region to come and join in.”

Beard is equally impressed with the Jaynes.

“I have 200 retailers from all over the country, including big cities, who sell my paint, and Karen and David sell the most,” said Beard. “Location is often the prime reason for high sales, but they prove how important personal contact and taking time really is.”

While the main event is on Saturday, 24 individuals have already been invited to participate in a preliminary DIY bootcamp. The store itself, Jayne’s Reliable, will be open for business throughout.

The bootcamp participants are coming from all over America and Mexico. Most are owners of small businesses similar to Jayne’s Reliable or are high-producing artisans in the field. All use, sell or recommend the chalk and clay paint from Debi’s Design Diary. The paint is clay-based and is known for being one of the cleanest, and most non-toxic and easy-to-use products available.

On her website, Beard describes the two-day bootcamp as “Not a vacation or a retreat. This is a jam-packed experience designed to give you real-life tools to help you build your brand.”

“When I started my shop, it was based on my passion for art,” said Beard. “It was tackling the business side that was the challenge for me. When I started to see video tutorials on YouTube, I decided to break out of my comfort zone and start making my own. That was the turning point for my business.

“Through my videos I connect with people and share what I’ve learned. I’m hoping through the DIY Traveling Show & Marketplace that more people will gain expertise in their craft and sharpen their business skills.”

Karen Murray, the media specialist at Lord Baltimore Elementary School, is one of the lucky participants. She describes her custom painting and decorating vintage furniture as a hobby that has become an obsession. She now sells her products at Jayne’s Reliable and other similar local stores and on her Facebook page, Pieces — by Karen Murray.

“I’m very excited. We’ve been divided into four teams of six and have already been working together online. We will be taking classes in topics like using Facebook more effectively to promote our brand, how to stage our pieces in order to take the best photos and how to actually teach using Debi’s paints or Iron Orchid molds,” Murray said.

One of Murray’s team’s first challenges was to decide what item they would create for the Make-and-Take activity on Saturday.

She explained, “That’s when the public can come to each team’s tent, see what we’ve made out of recycled or readily available objects, using the paint and decorative products, make it themselves with our help and suggestions, and take it home. It will be a lot of fun, but I can’t reveal what our team is making until the actual event!”

As well as providing the opportunity to Make-and-Take, the purpose of the teams is to create an added value experience for members of the public to enjoy on Saturday. Each of the DIY celebrities will be available in their own tent to meet people, answer questions, demonstrate how to use their products and inspire ideas to take home.

And, of course, there will be a huge variety of amazing pieces to purchase and take home. Some of these will already be perfect to fit into that special place at home, and others will provide the inspiration to create one’s own masterpiece using the tips learned from the experts.

Also invited to participate under the big tent are some of the Jaynes’ “friends in business” from the area. This includes antique and gift shops Remember When and Lavender & Lace, as well as Kim and Justin Cavagnaro, creators of fine jewelry and art glass.

Local musicians from the bands Slinging Daisies and East of the Mason Dixon will add to the festive nature of this rain-or-shine spectacular. The food truck from Delaware Provisions South in Millville will provide tasty options for hungry shoppers.

“I’m so excited to come to Delaware and meet all the amazing people Karen [Jayne] has told me about,” said Beard. The feeling is evidently mutual.

The general admission fee for the all-day DIY Traveling Show & Marketplace is $5. Full access to all classes, including the four Make-and-Take activities will cost an additional $5. Jayne’s Reliable is located at the corner of Main Street and Vines Creek Road in downtown Dagsboro. Arrangements have been made for plenty of parking. More information can be found at the Jayne’s Reliable Facebook page or by calling (302) 927-0049.

Car show to support Operation SEAs the Day

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In an effort to support the grassroots organization Operation SEAs the Day, whose goal is to facilitate a beach week for wounded military service members and their families, local Realtor Allison Stine created the Cripple Creek Car Show.

“We heard about Operation SEAs the Day after the first year. We were very enthusiastic about it after reading about what they had done for those families and wanted to be a part it,” said Stine. “The calendar is very full for the families, so we were looking for a way to get involved, and we saw an opening on that Saturday. So, we took our passion for cars and launched the first event.”

Now in its fourth year, the Cripple Creek Car Show will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no scheduled rain date.

The show is open to cars of all makes and models, and all years, including classics, exotics, hotrods, muscle cars and trucks.

“You get a wide variety of cars, and the quality of the cars is just shocking — and I travel literally all over the country every year for car shows, car museums and car events, and I’ve never seen a collection of this magnitude anywhere. It’s shocking what’s hidden in these garages and barns all over Sussex County.”

Pre-registration for participants costs $12, with day-of registration — which runs from 9 to 11 a.m. — costing $15.

“We provide lunch for the participants in the car, which is absolutely unheard-of in the car-show world. We did it the first year, and everybody was blown away,” said Stine. “I’ve organized car shows in the past and had never once received emails thanking me for such a wonderful day or event. I received about a dozen emails after this first show from people saying it was the best show they’d ever been to.”

The show will be held on the grounds of Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club, which provides free parking and golf-cart transportation to spectators who attend the car show.

“Spectators are free and encouraged to come out and vote for their favorite car, because we also give an award, first place and second place for Spectators’ Choice,” said Stine. “We have more trophies to this year’s show due to five additional sponsors — each choosing their favorite car in the show.”

The range of cars is fantastic, said Stine, noting that her own 2015 SS Camaro Indianapolis 500 festival car, which will also be carrying the grand marshal of the Heroes Parade from Sea Colony to the Freeman Stage on Friday, Sept. 8, will be in the show.

“We actually get Studebakers. You rarely ever see them anywhere, but when you come to our show, there are generally two, which is crazy,” she said. “We also have a group from the Jeep Club. They are reenactors from Fort Miles who bring a collection of military Jeeps from Vietnam, Korea, World War II… That’s a really neat thing to see.

“We have a hearse which shows up that’s pretty popular. It has flames that shoot out the sides, and people love to see that. We even had an antique fire truck show up the first year. We were blown away. Hallmark had used it as a model for one of its Christmas ornaments. Farm tractors, muscle cars, 1971 Super B, which is probably a quarter-million-dollar car. It’s a rare option… I think they made 22 of those cars total.”

Stine said the show would not be possible without the help of its sponsors, including the Coastal Point, the Law Offices of Scott & Schuman, Jeff Baxter Mortgage Team, the Allison Stine Team, H20 Pro, Morse Home Improvements, Banks Wines & Spirits, Mark Dieste Design Build and Money Mailer of East Central Delmarva. Each sponsor will choose their favorite car, which will be awarded a trophy.

“We’ve always been fortunate to have good sponsors,” she said, adding, “We’ve added new sponsors to the show, which will allow us to increase our charitable contribution to Operation SEAs the Day and the Wounded Warrior Project.”

State Rep. Ron Gray will also be in attendance to award a trophy to his favorite car.

“We’ll also have Tom Haug, former voice of the Cecil County Dragway in the late 1960s. He’s also a car-nut,” said Stine.

“Delaware Valley Camaro Club, which is an organization that I’m involved in, will be awarding a trophy for Best Paint, and there are plenty to choose from. They’ll also be awarding a trophy for the Best Military-Themed Vehicle.”

The DNREC police will be there to present the colors, and the Seaside Railroad Club will also be on-hand again with a G-gauge model train display.

Over the years, the show has raised more than $10,000 for Operation SEAs the Day, and this year, Stine hopes to raise around $3,000 for the non-profit.

“We’re just one good weather forecast away from having 200 cars at the show.”

For more information about the Cripple Creek Car Show, visit www.cripplecreekcarshow.com. Those with questions or who wish to pre-register may email Allison Stine at allison@allisonstine.com or call (302) 381-5565.

For more information about Operation SEAs the Day and how to get involved, visit www.operationseastheday.org.

Fenwick council to talk voter registration one last time

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Fenwick Island Town Council will — perhaps grudgingly — give the voter registration topic one last chance.

The primary sponsor of the proposed charter amendment, Councilwoman Julie Lee, has decided to hit “pause” on the proposal. She moved this week to rescind the first reading and canceled the scheduled Aug. 25 public hearing on the amendment, which would allow the spouses of trustees to vote in town council elections — a right they lost due to changes made in 2008.

“After the first reading, my sense was there weren’t the votes for it to pass,” Lee said a day before that scheduled hearing.

The amendment would allow two votes per trust (which would once again include a trustee’s spouse). Any property owned by non-residents would be limited to a maximum of four votes by deed holder or trustee.

The rules change would not affect residents, all of whom always have a right to vote, regardless of property ownership. LLCs, such as the gas station, would still get one vote. The “one person/one vote” mantra still holds true for all voters.

Council members passed the first reading in July — some, reluctantly — and the amendment has not been changed or revisited since then.

Lee said she respected that some council members were nervous about the proposal’s impact, but she said that dealing with the current rules has already taken up too much time and money. For instance, in the past three years, the town has paid about $25,000 in legal fees to research and process citizens’ claims, deeds and power-of-attorney paperwork. That is partly because of the contention and confusion about trusts only receiving one vote.

But, last Friday, the council was divided on whether to even discuss the issue anymore. They agreed, 4-3, to host one more discussion, in September, to try to find a path forward. Otherwise, they said, they will likely drop the issue, for now.

When polled, Mayor Gene Langan and Councilmen Richard Mais and Bernie Merritt weren’t interested in meeting on the issue, believing the council has spent enough time on it and should stop forcing it.

Gardner Bunting cast a tie-breaking vote from a neutral position on the issue, since he has opposed the language as written, but has said he believes “things are accomplished with seven of us sitting face-to-face,” to talk through the issues.

That didn’t stop the public and council members from breaking into debate again later in the meeting.

A charter change is still probably coming. The council still wants to pursue new charter language, including the definition of “bona fide resident,” which has also raised questions in the past.

They also want to research the possibility of raising the Town’s borrowing limits, which are set in the charter and must therefore be approved by the state legislature.

In other Fenwick Island Town Council news:

• The council updated its smoking ban to include vapor inhalers, e-cigarettes, marijuana and similar herbs/devices.

• Beach replenishment is coming. The State is now accepting bids for beach replenishment in Fenwick, South Bethany and Bethany Beach. Depending on the winning contractor’s timeline, Fenwick’s project may occur in late October.

• The council gave Ron and Kathy Serabian permission to temporarily erect an 80-by-40-foot tent on Atlantic Street for a Sept. 8 charity event.

• “The town of Fenwick Island should not have to face the threat of oil spill.” The council passed a resolution re-affirming their opposition to seismic testing for potential oil and gas reserves in the Atlantic Ocean. They will submit this statement in response to the White House’s instructing the Department of the Interior to reconsider testing and drilling in the Atlantic, after the Obama administration had previously adopted a policy not permitting it in at least the near future.

• The council passed a resolution signaling the Town’s desire and need for more sidewalks. They hope to solicit State assistance in accomplishing that task. The pedestrian safety committee will meet again on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m.

• The 2017 fiscal year ended “with a little money left over — not a lot,” said Treasurer Gardner Bunting. Councilman Roy Williams pointed out that the Realty Transfer Tax fund was depleted by at least $37,000, but Town Manager Terry Tieman said that money was placed in another pot, not necessarily spent.

Meanwhile, the Town paid about $10,000 to URS to help write its 10-year comprehensive plan update. That is on the low end for such projects, and it would be tough to do all the research, planning and writing in-house, Tieman said.

• Canal dredging would be on the Town’s priciest wish list. The Environmental Committee estimated that a hydrographic survey is the first step toward dredging and maintaining town canals and access channels. The study could cost anywhere from $15,000 to $24,000, depending on the thoroughness. Engineering for the project could cost at least $26,000. (The actual dredging would likely be hundreds of thousands of dollars.) The data was given to the Ad-Hoc Financial Committee, which is charged with long-range planning.

• Several Fenwick Island lifeguards were part of the Sussex County team that finished fourth in the country at the 2017 USLA National Lifeguard Championships.

• People are being reminded to plan early for coastal storms. “And, historically, we get hit with something — either a nor’easter or a hurricane,” said Police Chief Bill Boyden. “If anyone has questions or needs help putting together a plan,” he said, they have information at the police station. “As happened during [Hurricane] Sandy, we had a lot of people who didn’t expect to get hit and weren’t prepared.”

• Townsfolk may now apply to serve on Town committees. Details are available by calling the town clerk at (302) 539-3011 or online at http://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/committees-boards.

The next regular Fenwick Island Town Council meeting will be Friday, Sept. 22, at 3:30 p.m.


Sternberg to sign ‘Fall from Grace’ at Bethany Beach Books

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When author Libby Sternberg comes to Bethany Beach Books on Sunday, Sept. 3, she will be signing copies of her latest book, “Fall from Grace,” a tale of redemption about a modern-day man from a famous evangelical Christian family whose indiscretions bring him and his family unwelcome scrutiny.

Sternberg, interviewed by phone from her home near Lancaster, Pa., said “Fall from Grace” was inspired by the scandal surrounding Josh Duggar — oldest son of the family whose lives were made famous by their reality TV show, “19 Kids and Counting.”

“I started thinking about ‘What would it take for a man like that to make his way back to his wife, his family and his faith?’” Sternberg said. “What would that look like?”

Sternberg, who herself is Episcopalian, said she feels certain branches of Christianity are too often painted with a broad brush that doesn’t show the whole picture. “I feel like evangelicals are often mischaracterized,” she said, either as one-dimensional zealots or in a manner that is “overly sentimental.” Neither of those is particularly flattering, she said.

After working with evangelical Christians in a public policy capacity on educational reform, Sternberg said she came to realize that they are actually “not that different” from those who are less conservative, in many ways.

At its core, Sternberg said, “Fall from Grace” is a love story, about a man and a woman, their relationships with each other and with God. While some would assume her newest book might fall under the category of “inspirational fiction,” Sternberg said she does not want to give that impression. She said there are “very, very strict guidelines” regarding what can be considered “inspirational” and that her book does not fall within them.

“Fall from Grace,” however, addresses faith in a realistic way — which in itself makes it rather unique in the genre. “In the publishing world today, it seems like fiction is secularized,” not delving into characters’ faith in a meaningful way. This was part of her inspiration for the book. “You just get called to write different stories,” she said.

Sternberg, whose “day job” is copy editor for book publisher Harper Collins, is a Baltimore native who has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. After working as a union chorister for opera companies in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and coming to the conclusion that singing was not going to pay her bills, she turned to writing.

She embarked on her writing career first in public relations, then as a freelance writer for trade organizations and small newspapers. Her sister, she said, encouraged her to take the next step in her career and write a book. The result was “Uncovering Sadie’s Secrets,” a young-adult novel that was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

After that, Sternberg wrote three more young-adult novels, four humorous women’s fiction (romantic comedies) books, two adult mysteries and two historical fiction novels.

One of the humorous books has been “greenlighted” to become a film. That book, “Fire Me,” is set in Washington, D.C., and, as of this week, the process of writing the script for the film had begun. The whole journey from book to screenplay has taken about 10 years and progressed in fits and starts, Sternberg said.

Sternberg said that, while she has had considerable success in publishing, she has also had her share of rejections.

“You progress through the types of rejections,” she said, adding that the more personal rejection letters sting less than the form letters.

While she has set other books in Mid-Atlantic cities where she has lived — her debut contemporary women’s fiction book, “Loves Me, Loves Me Not,” is set in her native Baltimore, as are her Bianca Balducci young-adult mystery series and her two adult mysteries, among others — she has not yet written a story based at the beach. Nor has she written a book based on the Amish culture that is such a large part of her current home in Lancaster. “I just haven’t felt called to write those stories,” she said.

Sternberg has written several historical novels — a genre she said she finds particularly challenging — in part because the language spoken in such tales must be specific to the time period, which adds another dimension to writing dialogue.

“It’s very daunting,” she said. “You just kind of immerse yourself in it for the duration.”

Sternberg said her novel “Sloane Hall,” about 1920s Hollywood, remains among her favorites because of it was a transitional time in the film industry.

“Movies were changing from pictures to sound,” and focusing on that period drew her into a world that was also changing and modernizing, she said.

Sternberg writes under two names — Libby Sternberg for “serious fiction” and Libby Malin for her more humorous works.

She will be at Bethany Beach Books at 99 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, on Sunday, Sept. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to meet visitors and sign copies of “Fall from Grace.” For more information on Sternberg and her work, visit www.libbysternberg.com.

Bethany set to mourn summer New Orleans-style

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On Labor Day of 1985, former town councilman Moss Wagner created the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral to commemorate the end of the summer season. This year, the annual mock-funeral will take place in downtown Bethany Beach on Sept. 4, Labor Day, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the north end of the boardwalk.

The event has become a tradition, running now for 32 years. The Jazz Funeral has stayed relatively true to its roots over the past three decades, even though the town’s lifeguards are no longer allowed to strip off their suits and run naked into the ocean at the end of the procession as part of their own informal celebration.

“The event is a celebration at the end of the summer to ‘bid a fond farewell’ to the traditional summer season,” said Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral Executive Director and Chairman Paul Jankovic.

Jankovic said that during the procession, participants in the parade walk alongside a casket that contained a mannequin that represented that year’s summer season, and the walkers are joined by Dixieland bands that travel alongside the casket.

The bands this year, according to Jankovic, will be three bands combined into one. The conglomerate will include the Dixie Cats, the Downtown Dixieland Band and the Jazz Funeral Irregulars. During the procession, he said, the music played has been known to start off having a somber mood and then at the end, when the casket reached the bandstand, become upbeat, Dixieland-style music.

Jankovic said a large part of the event is dressing up. Some people come in costumes consisting of black shrouds and dark sunglasses. Some participants carry flower bouquets and wreaths to further the funeral experience and also give the event a comedic twist.

“The Jazz Funeral is a lighthearted celebration that allows all those who attend to participate and become part of a ‘just for fun’ boardwalk parade,” Jankovic said.

Despite the event revolving around a rather morose theme, Jankovic said it is supposed to be a light and celebratory event. He said that Bethany Beach and New Orleans are actually the only two localities in the United States that have traditional annual jazz funerals. The formation of a somber observance into a more celebratory occasion is what inspired Wagner to create the event.

Jankovic also said the Jazz Funeral has been one of the longest-running celebrations of its kind amongst the resort towns in Delaware. The event grew from a small-scale parade and party, planned by Wagner, into a town-wide festivity.

“The Jazz Funeral has become a ‘quirky’ tradition in Bethany Beach enjoyed by about 2,000 people each year,” he added.

At the conclusion of the parade on the bandstand, after the Dixieland music is finished, speakers will get the chance to reflect on this past summer’s high points. This year’s official Jazz Funeral host, Liane Hansen, will be announcing the speakers.

On top of the procession itself, for the past 12 years, a silent auction has been held on the Friday before the Jazz Funeral. This year, the auction will take place at Bethany Blues on Sept. 1 from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The proceeds this year will go to the Delmarva Chapter of the American Red Cross.

“The goal of the Jazz Funeral fund-raising activities is to help the American Red Cross of Delmarva, who assists the residents of the local communities with emergency and preventive services,” Jankovic said.

Bob Rhodunda, regional philanthropy officer for the American Red Cross’s Delmarva Chapter said early this week that, in light of the need produced by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Red Cross volunteers would be available to accept donations at the Jazz Funeral Silent Auction on Friday and may be passing red buckets at Monday’s event to accept cash or check donations.

“This storm, albeit not even over yet, has passed the devastation of Superstorm Sandy and could reach Hurricane Katrina magnitude if the storm continues to sit,” Rhodunda said.

Bethany to dedicate Chair of Honor

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One empty chair — a symbol of someone who is missing — can be a powerful statement.

Visitors to the Bethany Beach boardwalk will soon have a constant reminder of those who could not be there to celebrate summer, to put their toes in the sand and their faces in the ocean spray. Thanks to the Chair of Honor project, there will be one empty chair beneath the boardwalk flag pole, in honor of military service members who are still missing, who never returned home to their families.

A dedication ceremony for the chair will be held by the flag pole at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, according to project spokesperson Rosely Robinson. The chair, donated by the Maine-based Hussey Seating Co., serves as a reminder of those who not only gave the ultimate sacrifice but whose families have never been able to say a final goodbye.

Robinson, who also is the Delaware director for A Hero’s Welcome, said the Chair of Honor project has been spreading across the country for several years and she wanted to bring it to Delaware.

“It has just kind of become my passion,” Robinson said.

While her work with A Hero’s Welcome focuses on easing service members’ transition after returning from service overseas, she said, “It’s awful — the ones that never come home. Those poor families never get closure.”

Other Chair of Honor locations in Delaware include Cabela’s at Christiana Mall, Dover Downs, Blue Rock Stadium, the Vietnam Memorial Park in Dover, and veterans’ cemeteries in Millsboro and Bear. The Bethany Beach location will be the first seaside placement, Robinson said.

As the plaque that will accompany the chair states, since World War I, 91,000 servicemen remain unaccounted for. Robinson said she hopes that the chairs will keep their service and their sacrifice in the forefront of people’s minds.

“I think we should teach everybody” about the ones who never returned, said Robinson, a native of Brazil who became a citizen of the United States at the age of 18.

The Chair of Honor project is sponsored by the Rolling Thunder veterans’ motorcyclist group. Along with representatives of Rolling Thunder and other veterans’ groups, as well as state and local dignitaries, the public is being invited to the Sept. 7 ceremony.

Participants, in addition to Delaware National Guard, include Bethany Beach Mayor Jack Gordon and Brig. Gen. Michael Berry, Land Component Commander of the Delaware National Guard, who will speak. Rebecca Bristow, Miss Teen Milford, will perform the national anthem. Robinson said Bristow has taken on POW/MIA awareness as her pageant platform.

Also on hand will be Patrick Hughes, national photographer for the Rolling Thunder, who has been very active in the Chair of Honor project nationwide.

“Outside of their families and close friends, they have been forgotten,” Robinson said of those still listed as prisoners-of-war and missing-in-action. “When you have a military funeral, the American flag is taken off and respectfully folded and handed to the next to kin. With the POW and MIA, they don’t have anything — no closure. All they have are memories of their loved ones.”

So far, more than 460 Chairs of Honor have been installed across the United States, 15 of which are in Delaware.

IRSD talks budget, school numbers, FFA

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With some of its schools completely over their enrollment capacity, the Indian River School District is trying to nail down a system for school choice.

On Aug. 28, for the first time in months, the Board of Education approved a number of school-choice recommendations, after only a few minutes of discussion.

But much behind-the-scenes work had gone into this batch of recommendations. First of all, Board President Charles Bireley had pre-approved the approvals and rejections, based on school principals’ recommendations, because families needed time to prepare for the school year.

Earlier this month, district staff and administrators met to study school capacity. They said they felt 90 percent school capacity is a good threshold for deciding whether to continue accepting applications for school choice. Principals would still have the discretion to invite more students, building up their population numbers while maintaining some wiggle room.

The IRSD has just begun the busy time for enrollment. As of Aug. 28, school capacities were: East Millsboro Elementary School (99 percent full), Georgetown Elementary School (86), Georgetown Kindergarten Center (88), Georgetown Middle School (89), Indian River High School (96), Long Neck Elementary School (96), John M. Clayton Elementary School (84), Lord Baltimore Elementary School (90), Millsboro Middle School (90), North Georgetown Elementary School (88), Phillip C. Showell Elementary School (69), Selbyville Middle School (103), Southern Delaware School of the Arts (83) and Sussex Central High School (109).

Most school districts are using an online application system for school-choice applications. The IRSD board got a demonstration of the Data Service Center — a free program that could help process the district’s more than 700 annual applications.

School boards still have final say in who is accepted and how requirements are weighted, but the system keeps everything organized. Moreover, if the Delaware State Legislature passes House Bill 269, it would streamline school choice statewide and require all districts to use www.schoolchoicede.org.

Also on Aug. 28, the school board approved the $151 million preliminary budget for the 2018 fiscal year. Final budgets will be approved in October, after the official Sept. 30 unit count, upon which most state funding is based.

Although some budgets are tight this year, the administration is determined to rebuild a $15 million reserve in the next three years, so $5 million will be stuck in savings.

The IRSD still has to give back $2 million to the State because of state budget shortfalls. They’ve only figured out how to repay $800,000 thus far. The Howard T. Ennis School also specifically has to repay about $140,000.

Business Director Jan Steele said the IRSD’s 6 percent revenue increase mostly results from the recent referendum, in which voters approved a 49-cent increase per $100 of assessed property value. The IRSD board also raised other rates, including tuition (for special-educational services) and minor capital funds (which must react to the state changes). However, the IRSD board lowered the debt-service tax, because district debt payments are decreasing.

Although the fiscal year began July 1, the district asked schools to wait before buying school supplies. They were allowed to purchase the bare minimum this month, then the rest of classroom materials once tax deposits come in October.

The draft budget is online at www.boarddocs.com/de/irsd/Board.nsf/Public. (Select “Aug. 28, 2017,” then select item 8.05 “FY 2018 Budget.” The document includes a glossary of terms.

In other IRSD news:

• In an unusual circumstance, the school board decided not to sponsor a student’s trip to FFA national competition. This spring, as an eighth-grader in the IRSD, the student won the state-level competition, but she will have transferred outside of the district, to Sussex Technical High School, by the time of nationals in October. The Department of Education does not require the IRSD to sponsor or chaperone her, so the school board opted not to, over liability concerns.

That decision raised the issue of high-schoolers who graduate but return the following fall to compete in nationals, although they’re no longer enrolled in IRSD schools. Superintendent Mark Steele suggested the district create a policy for such situations.

• With support from local state legislators, the IRSD was given permission to pursue a different plot of land for a new Howard T. Ennis School. Although the IRSD had investigated a triangular lot along the Avenue of Honor in north Millsboro, they preferred a nearby rectangular plot, directly across Patriots Way from Sussex Central High School.

This month, the State reassured district officials that they wouldn’t have to re-submit all of their paperwork to pursue a different lot. So the Certificate of Necessity will remain binding for another year, and IRSD just needs state agencies to vet the land. Results should be announced in October.

Funding is completely up to the State, since Ennis is a special state-funded school managed by IRSD.

• Students will pay the same prices for school meals this year as last, including $1 for elementary lunches; $1.10 for middle and high school lunches; 60 cents for breakfast platters; 40 cents for reduced-price lunch and 30 cents for reduced-price breakfast. Some adult prices have increased.

• The school board approved installation of a small weather-monitoring station on Indian River High School grounds. It would be one of 57 stations in the Delaware Environmental Observing System. The small pole and system will only take up a few square feet, and DEOS can use the data (collected every five minutes) for statewide transportation services and school lesson plans.

• Mountaire Farms Inc. donated $10,000 to Project VILLAGE, which serves some of the highest-needs preschoolers in the district.

The IRSD Board of Education’s next meeting is Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at Indian River High School. Committee meetings are set for Monday, Sept. 11, at the Indian River Education Complex in Selbyville: Policy at 4 p.m.; Curriculum at 5 p.m.; Buildings and Grounds at 6 p.m.; Finance at 7:30 p.m. The Citizens Budget Oversight Committee will meet Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. at the IREC in Selbyville.

The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Cocktails Curing Cancer offers drinks for a cause

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It’s a bubbly night to battle a deadly disease. The annual Cocktails Curing Cancer party will be held Thursday, Sept. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Big Fish Grill in Ocean View.

“We want the evening to be around remembering, honoring and celebrating … and bringing people together who have all been touched by this horrible disease of cancer,” said organizer Lisa Condon.

Her goal is to raise $10,000 that night for Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center.

As the event’s title suggests, half the fun is in the cocktails. Guests can purchase any drink, but $1 from each signature cocktail will be donated to Tunnell.

The signature cocktail is different every year — sometimes based on vodka, whiskey or bourbon — but always a unique way, to show off the bartender’s or mixologist’s skills. Plus, it’s adventurous for the guests.

“It just gives somebody a chance to do something new and do something good. They can feel good about the dollar going back,” Condon said.

Regular tickets cost $45, but the $75 VIP tickets grant early access at 5 p.m., with special appetizers, one free drink, one entry into both of the event’s prize raffles and a surprise VIP gift bag with “some pretty nice goodies.”

The night includes heavy appetizers, live music by The Stims, a photo area and special message/memory board. Live auction prizes include a private dinner by chef Jay Allen from The Elegant Plate.

So that guests can better enjoy the party, Condon limited the auction items this year. Instead, a limited number of tickets will be sold for two big raffle prizes: “The Shore Experience” hotel and restaurant package and “The Brew Tour” of the local liquor lords.

People may purchase raffle tickets beforehand online.

The high-end cocktail party can be the perfect date night or girls’ night out, Condon said.

“When they come in, they’ve got the opportunity to socialize, they’ve got the appetizers,” Condon said. “We have a station that has ribbons that represent a whole variety of cancers.”

Cocktails Curing Cancer began in Vermont in 2008 as a non-profit whose mission is to help fight against cancer “one cocktail at a time.” When Condon moved to Delaware several years ago, she was moved by the Tunnell mission to find a cure, as well as to provide hope for patients, families and caregivers.

Having lost her own mother to lung cancer in 2007 and her father to mesothelioma in 2013, Condon has said she’s passionate about the cause. Although the event is, at first glance, a cocktail party, it’s also a time of support for people who have been impacted by all types of cancer.

She offered her thanks to the major sponsors, Heather’s Homeworks and Steen’s Beach Service, for their support.

“What that says to me is … they see value in what we’re doing and how we partner. One of the goals that I’ve always had is, not only being able to donate everything we make … it’s helping our friends and neighbors and families,” Condon said.

She has more dreams of partnering with local businesses.

“Ultimately, I would love to do some partnerships, where some of the drinks we do feature ingredients from the partners,” such as local herbs, produce or even gourmet balsamic vinegar (as she did in Vermont).

Big Fish Grill is located at 30415 Cedar Neck Road, Ocean View.

Tickets are available online at www.CocktailsCuringCancerBB.eventbrite.com. Tickets will also be sold the door, if available.

Pre-Civil War house to be featured on Historic House Tour

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Coastal Point • Submitted: The Smith house, built around 1839, has been renovated to expand the space. The home will be featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural tour of historic homes on Oct. 7.Coastal Point • Submitted: The Smith house, built around 1839, has been renovated to expand the space. The home will be featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural tour of historic homes on Oct. 7.Perhaps the oldest surviving house in Ocean View, the circa-1839 Smith House was built by the Tunnell family on the Indian River and then moved to its present Daisy Avenue location a century later, before 1937. It will be among the historic homes in the area featured on the Ocean View Historical Society’s inaugural Coastal Towns Historic Homes Tour on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Duncan and Cindy Smith purchased the original 1,800-square-foot colonial-style home in 1999 and then renovated it into a 4,000-square-foot home for their young family. They used antiques to capture the house’s history: hanging doors from an old general store on the master bedroom shower, installing seats from the Lord Baltimore School auditorium and making indoor swings from the floor joist of the pre-Civil War house. The home still has its first fireplace, and the house’s original exterior front doors are now hung at the entry to the master bedroom.

Tourgoers can search for more creative adaptations in the game room and other areas. The grounds include a white picket fence, entrance arbor and in-ground pool.

Limited tickets for the Coastal Towns Historic Homes Tour, set for Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. are on sale at the Ellen Rice Gallery on Route in Ocean View and at Made By Hand on Route 1 in South Bethany, as well as online at www.ovhistoricalsociety.org. Tickets cost $20 for OVHS members or $30 for non-members. Proceeds will benefit the evolving Coastal Towns Museum and Hall’s Store Visitor & Education Center.

Humility and a vodka martini: Local centenarian has the answers

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Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: Reine Jesel recently celebrated his 100th birthday, surrounded by friends and family at this favorite morning coffee joint, the Selbyville McDonald’s.Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: Reine Jesel recently celebrated his 100th birthday, surrounded by friends and family at this favorite morning coffee joint, the Selbyville McDonald’s.On almost any morning in the Selbyville McDonald’s, a group of older men can be found laughing together over breakfast.

In the far corner this week, one white-haired fellow with bright eyes and a big grin enjoyed a special spotlight. After all, Reine Jesel had just celebrated his 100th birthday.

He still drives himself to McDonald’s six days a week for a black coffee to read the daily paper (no eyeglasses required). He won’t need to renew his driver license until he’s 105.

“I’m fortunate,” he said.

Most of his life was spent in New Jersey, working as a general contractor in the construction business. He was 85 when he and his wife, Shirley, moved to the outskirts of Frankford about 15 years ago.

So what’s the key to longevity? First, he said, his wife insists that he take vitamin supplements. (“I guess it’s working,” he mused.)

“The most important thing is we have a vodka martini every night. … And we just have one,” Jesel said. “Every evening around 4:30 or 5, we toast each other. We’ve been that way for years.”

When they were married, he and Shirley were both beginning their second marriages. Somewhat nervous about their 10-year age difference, they choose a simple ceremony at the minister’s house. But there was nothing to worry about, it seems. They’ve been married for more than half a century.

“My wife is going to be 90 [soon], and she acts and looks like she’s 60,” he said.

Jesel looks pretty good for 100, too.

Although his birthday was Sunday, Sept. 3, his breakfast buddies planned a Labor Day birthday party, featuring commendations from the Delaware General Assembly; cake and decorations courtesy of McDonald’s; more cake from his friends; and special appearances by two of his four sons.

What do his morning companions think about the birthday boy? They joked that anything they said wouldn’t be fit for publication. But the camaraderie was evident, and they complimented him as a sharp dresser who definitely doesn’t look like a centenarian.

“They’re all great. That’s all I can say. They’re very accommodating,” Jesel said.

When he came to Delaware, Jesel didn’t know anyone in the area. But he had attended a similar coffee group in New Jersey. So he took his newspaper to the Selbyville McDonald’s every morning until, one day, someone walked over and started talking about NASCAR.

Now, 15 years later, Jesel still hangs out with the guys every day. They said he’s a private man, but he was modestly willing to discuss his life.

His birth certificate actually lists him by the more traditional French name “Rene.” But he’s used “Reine” ever since childhood, when someone mislabeled his school records, probably mistaking an accent mark for another vowel.

Although his parents were from Alsace-Lorraine, they only spoke English at home. (Later, when Jesel realized he might have otherwise been bilingual in German or French, he said, he felt rather short-changed.)

While he was born in New York City in 1917, his family later moved to Philadelphia, then to Newark, N.J., with his father’s job at Breyer’s ice cream. Jesel’s first car was pre-owned, since most manufacturing plants in the early 1940s were dedicated to the war effort, not automobiles.

After a “normal childhood,” he married at a young age and was already a dad when the United States joined World War II. As a father and doing IBM computer work at a bank, Jesel was exempted from military service. But there was still much more part-time work to be done stateside, due to the labor shortage.

Having witnessed the earlier days of major tech company IBM, Jesel said he understands the leap that modern technology has made:

“When I was going in, we had a punch-card system, sorters and collators,” for processing checks one at a time. “And now they print checks out thousands at a time, and that’s incredible.”

Now there’s a smartphone in his pocket, with access to most of humanity’s knowledge.

“The changes have been fantastic, especially in the computer field. … When I was in construction in New Jersey, the first phone that I bought was $2,000, and you had to carry [it in] a little box. They charged for calls coming in and out,” Jesel said. “Now everybody walks around with it.”

Jesel said he is very proud to have seen his children grow up and earn their own achievements and awards.

“That’s one thing I’m grateful for — that I’m able to experience their successes,” he said.

One works in real estate; another is a mechanic for helicopters and airplanes. The other two are in the automotive industry. In between building parts for NASCAR and the National Hot Rod Association, they’ve also set speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Down the lineage, Jesel also has two great-great-grandchildren in Australia.

He said he feels fortunate. He’s happy in Delaware and has good neighbors.

But when asked about other life observations, “I think the politicians should change their attitude. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jesel, adding that he was never very political himself. “What’s happening today — I’ve never realized anything like that could ever happen.”

Over the years, Jesel said, he’s led a normal life and hasn’t changed much.

“I don’t let things upset me,” Jesel said. “Take it with a grain of salt.”

Maybe the secret to longevity is humility, with a vodka tonic on the side.


IRSD announces more new administrators, fills staff

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With the new school year having begun on Tuesday, Sept. 5, the Indian River School District is putting the finishing touches on its administration lineup. Although most of the transition was completed before July, a few new opportunities recently opened up for IR staff. Last-minute changes were made at several schools:

• At John M. Clayton Elementary, Allisa Booth stepped up to become principal. E. Bennett Murray IV will become assistant principal.

• Principal Heather Cramer switched from John M. Clayton Elementary to North Georgetown Elementary. She filled the vacancy left when Michael Rodriguez left for the Department of Education. Samantha Gordy remains the only assistant principal.

• Jenna Argo has been named an assistant principal, splitting time between Phillip C. Showell Elementary and Southern Delaware School of the Arts. She was formerly a teacher at Millsboro Middle School.

• SDSA’s Barkley Heck has stepped up to become principal.

• Travis Bower left Georgetown Elementary to become assistant principal at Lord Baltimore Elementary.

• Previously at Long Neck Elementary, Chris Costello joins Ivan Neal as assistant principals at Georgetown Elementary, both under Principal Neil Stong.

• At Long Neck Elementary, Clara Conn stepped up to become principal, while Amanda Wroten fills her spot as assistant principal.

• Georgetown Middle’s David Hudson will become principal, with Karen Oliphant leaving G.W. Carver Academy to become Georgetown Middle’s assistant principal.

• Mike Williams left Georgetown Middle to become principal at Indian River High School. The IRHS assistant principals will be Matt Keller (from Lord Baltimore) and Will Revels (from district headquarters).

• Christy Kerr will step up as acting principal at the Howard T. Ennis School while Kristina Perfetti is on personal leave. The new assistant principal is Michael Thompson.

• Melissa Kansak moved from the district office to become principal at the G.W. Carver Academy.

• The IRSD will begin advertising to hire a fourth assistant principal position at Sussex Central High School, where growing enrollment merits another administrator.

Unchanged this year were the administrators at East Millsboro Elementary, Millsboro Middle and Selbyville Middle schools.

Up-to-date contacts are listed online in the “Our Schools” section of the IRSD website, at www.IRSD.net.

SEAs the Day alumni return for Warrior Beach Week

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A family vacation to the beach is not always within reach for the family of military veterans, whose focus is often on paying the bills and the overall health of the family.

Enter Operation SEAs the Day.

The mission of the non-profit organization is “to organize and facilitate a beach week event for our wounded soldiers and their families as a means of showing our appreciation for their service and sacrifice. It is our hope that such a community-based gesture of support will be comforting and help ease their transition back into civilian life.”

Bryan, a retired Army specialist E4 from eastern Maryland, said that many veterans’ families, including his family of four, would not be able to enjoy a week-long vacation in Bethany Beach.

“Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, you’re retired from the military — you must have lots of money!’ No, we don’t. We’ve got enough to get ourselves by — pay our bills, and I can take my wife out to dinner once a month.”

Editor’s Note: In the interests of privacy, we are witholding Bryan’s last name.

Bryan and his family will be returning to Bethany Beach for the third year in a row next week — when OSTD hosts its fifth Warrior Beach Week, Sept. 5-10.

He and his family first participated in the program in 2015 as one of 25 “Very Important Families” (VIFs).

“OSTD reached out to the Wounded Warrior Project and asked for veterans that they felt could benefit from the experience Operation SEAs the Day provides. So, the Wounded Warrior Project reached out… We had a great time.”

Last year, they returned to Bethany as alumni, to help guide new VIFs through the week, which Bryan said can be “overwhelming.” This year, they return as “super-alumni” and sit on the Board of Directors.

“The second year, when we told our kids they were, like, ‘What?! We get to go back?! That’s awesome!’ We were excited, too!

“This year, when we told them we get to go back again — it’s all they’ve been talking about since they got out of school. ‘We’re going back to Bethany!’ ‘When do we get to go back to Bethany?! Is it this week?! Is it this week?!’” he recalled with a laugh.

“With us being super-alumni, we’ve had to go down there for board meetings, and so, one week we didn’t take them, but the next meeting we took them. They were, like, ‘Oh, it’s this week we’re going to Bethany!’ And we were, like, ‘Yeah, but it’s only for a day.’ ‘Awww!’ We did take them to the beach that day and let them play at the beach while we were there.”

Bryan said that, before OSTD, he and his family had bad very little involvement in veterans’ organizations.

“I had only been involved with Wounded Warrior Project for maybe six months and only been to a handful of events. I wasn’t one of those veterans who took full advantage of what they had to offer. I did one or two here or there, and hung out with the other veterans who were at the event.”

But there was something different about OSTD that made them want to be as involved as possible.

“It really just gave me that hometown feeling — that World War I, World War II-esque feeling when everyone came home and they threw a parade, and everyone was thankful and grateful. The whole town came out and basically said, ‘Thank you for your service! You don’t have to pay for anything; you don’t have to ask for anything. Whatever you need is on the house! If you want to come in and just sit on my couch, the front door is open for you! I’ll make you dinner!’

“That’s something that a lot of veterans didn’t get,” he said frankly. “Especially with the Vietnam era — that just went right out the door. They got the horrible end of the deal.”

When he returned from his own deployment, Bryan said, it was as if he had never gone away.

“Nothing. Just came in on my flight with my unit, right back into my base, turned in my gear and went right back to doing our job here at home.”

A focus on the family

The organizers of Operation SEAs the Day recognized there were few organizations that were working with the whole family, and wanted to give them the thanks and welcome home they deserved.

With that in mind, the VIFs are offered beach houses to stay in — free of charge — with a stocked refrigerator, welcome basket with items for the children and adults, gift certificates and a slew of events hosted throughout the week that they are invited to but not required to attend.

“As a veteran family of four, they give you the opportunity to have a beach house right on the beach. Sometimes, families of four or five people, we can’t afford a beach house for a week. That’s kind of pricey for some people.

“For them to donate a beach house to us for a week and say, ‘Here you go!’ — that’s incredible. And not only is it a beach house, but it’s fully furnished, all your linens. They stockpile it with food and give you gift certificates to, like, every restaurant in the area, so all your food and everything is taken care of. You don’t have to shovel out a dime unless you’re getting some alcohol. It’s just amazing,” Bryan said.

“Then, every night they have a huge dinner for you somewhere. Or, if they don’t have a huge dinner for you one night for all the veterans to get together, they’ve given you a gift certificate for somewhere that has a big dinner for you. Then they’ve set up surfing or parasailing or deep-sea fishing or a bay cruise. One year, they had Jet Ski riding. They have stuff that retired veterans just can’t afford.”

One of the highlights of the week is the “A Hero’s Welcome Home” motorcade that will take the families to a concert at the Freeman Stage at Bayside, when the public is invited to stand alongside the route and show their support.

The route is always lined with hand-drawn posters thanking the veterans and their families for their service to their country, and welcoming them to Bethany. Following the parade, the VIFs will go into the Cove at Bayside and enjoy dinner, before attending the Bruce in the USA show.

This year’s parade will be held on Friday, Sept. 8. Buses filled with VIFs will leave Sea Colony at 4:30 p.m. and are expected to arrive at Bayside between 5 and 5:15 p.m. The buses will be accompanied by local police and fire departments, the Delaware State Police and more. Those who participate along the roadside are being encouraged to wear red, white and blue while they wave an American flag as the motorcade goes by.

The support and kindness is so overwhelming, said Bryan, that the first year, he and his wife cried.

“The first year, we didn’t know what we were getting into. Our first night, we were so overwhelmed — my wife and I with our host family — we just stayed there and cried, because they were giving us all these things. We’ve never had this kind of outpouring of love from random people, people that we didn’t know. We just sat there and cried. Literally, our mouths were on the table, because we had never experienced that.”

Along with having time to be a family, and not focus on making sure they can pay the bills or worry about an episode the wounded veteran might have, Bryan said the beach week allows veterans to connect with other veterans, as well as the spouses to connect with other spouses and the children to connect with other children.

“We have close friends now that live in Ohio. We have friends now that are close up in Pennsylvania. And we still meet up with them.”

The family also became close with their host family, which is a family that volunteers their time to help the veteran family with anything they might need during their stay in Bethany.

“We’re really close to them. Our host family, they send Christmas cards to the kids with gift cards.”

He said it helps that most people involved in the organization have some sort of military connection.

“Everybody who was out there was a veteran family. Everybody out there helping was military-related in some way. So, they understood the issues they were dealing with. They understood how to help them cope and deal with whatever was going on.”

Bryan said he and his wife feel driven to help others, so when OSTD asked them to return as alumni, they said they would love to help.

“We have that giving spirit. Once we got there and helped other people and saw how much they appreciated it and loved it… You saw the stress and burden lift off of their shoulders, just how they were able to relax,” he said. “Coming back the third year, that was more of what we wanted. We wanted to come back and help people again. We want more of that feeling of helping people. That’s what draws us.”

Bryan and his wife said they hope that other veteran families and Americans who want to show support for them will participate in the annual event.

“I think it’s the best little kept secret. I really do. I think it’s the best little kept secret Delaware has.”

For more information about Operation SEAs the Day, to donate or find out more about how to get involved, visit www.operationseastheday.org.

Some older residents surprised by new property tax rates

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When opening their property tax bills this summer, many local residents expected their taxes to increase because of the March public-school referendum. But the Indian River School District’s successful referendum isn’t the only reason that taxes increased.

To help balance a nearly $400 million deficit, the State of Delaware reduced some perks for residents 65 and older. That includes reducing the senior tax credit from $500 to $400.

Well-advertised was IRSD’s intent to raise tax rates to continue basic funding for the schools. It went to referendum twice and passed on its second try.

Less anticipated was the governor and Delaware General Assembly reducing tax cuts for seniors. Sussex County offers several property-tax discounts to elderly, low-income or disabled individuals.

Delaware offers the State Senior Citizen School Property Tax Credit for anyone 65 or older. But the State pays for that, so the counties don’t lose money. When the State needed to balance the budget, those decisions impacted many people, including senior residents.

“Anybody who had the state $500 discount when they passed the budget, it changed to $400, so they’re calling and saying, ‘You’re charging me $100 more than you should be,” said Jan Steele, IRSD director of business.

Although the State’s senior tax-credit change was unrelated to the school districts, Steele has been fielding phone calls from the community all month.

“Out-of-state people who have summer homes here to want to know if they can apply for the credit. They can’t. They have to be a full-time resident,” she said. The others are people who said they just didn’t know about the referendum, so they didn’t know taxes were going up.”

As a finance manager with the IRSD and formerly in the Delmar School District, Steele gets such calls every year, but more now because of the State’s tax-credit change.

The IRSD was also allowed to raise tax rates by a few more net cents because of state law.

Public referendum is the only way to change current-expense and per-head capitation rates.

But school boards have the power to adjust rates every year for tuition (special-programming needs based on the number of special-education students each year); minor capital improvement (which districts must adjust to match state funding); and debt service (which is comparable to a mortgage payment for the school districts).

“We’re not the only district in that boat,” said IRSD spokesperson David Maull. “People think we’re raising their taxes over and above what the referendum was, and we’re not.”

Overall, IRSD property tax rates increased from $2.578 to $3.097 per $100 of assessed value (which in Sussex County is much less than actual appraised real estate value). The following changes were made:

• Current expense (increased by 49 cents, from $1.86 to $2.35, approved by public referendum)

• Debt service (decreased by 2.2 cents, from $0.216 to $0.194)

• Tuition (increased 5 cents, from $0.47 to $0.52)

• Minor capital improvement (increased 0.01 cent, from $0.032 to $0.033).

The capitation rate was unchanged, at $12 per adult.

Property owners can learn more and view their county tax bills online at https://sussexcountyde.gov/property-tax-information or by calling the Sussex County administration office at (302) 855-7871.

Frankford, Dagsboro to meet on possibly joining (police) forces

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Last month, Dagsboro Police Chief Floyd Toomey presented some information to the Frankford Town Council about what it would take to join the two towns’ police forces.

At the Aug. 7 meeting, Toomey said the Town of Dagsboro currently has four officer positions in its budget. If the two towns were to come together for police protection, Dagsboro would request Frankford provide the funds for two officers, to bring the total force up to six officers. He added that the purpose of combining the two forces would be to increase the police presence in both towns.

Following the meeting, the Towns agreed to hold two unification workshops to get the public’s input on the idea.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Frankford Volunteer Fire Company’s fire hall, followed by a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Dagsboro fire hall.

“Chief Toomey will be running the meetings — he’ll basically present what’s being proposed and then open the meetings up to questions. If they’ve got any questions, that’s the perfect time to do it. They’re not public hearings — we’re not going to vote on anything,” said Dagsboro Mayor Brian Baull.

“It’s more getting the information out to the people, ‘Here’s what’s being proposed…’ We encourage people to come out. If they have any kind of question they want to ask, concerns, that would be a good time to do so.”

The idea came about following the resignation of Frankford Police Chief Mark Hudson on July 27; however, it wasn’t the first time the idea had been considered. Toomey said he knows the Towns had joint police departments many years ago, possibly in the 1950s, from what he’s been told.

“When Chief Dudley retired, it was considered at that point in time to possibly merge, and then again when Chief Warchol got transferred last year — he suggested we contacted Dagsboro and see if it was viable,” added Frankford Town Councilman Marty Presley.

“Obviously, with Mark Hudson resigning, it threw it back up in the forefront. We had a preliminary talk with Dagsboro, and they were agreeable to taking a look… It’s really a way for both of us to get more coverage and use the law of large numbers that we could have more people in a combined force than we could in two individual forces.”

Town officials from both towns are hoping as many of their citizens — residents, property owners, business owners and interested parties — as possible will attend one, if not both, of the informational meetings.

“The citizens and business owners and local representatives should attend all these meetings, just so they get an informed idea of what the proposal is, what it will entail and what benefit it has to both towns,” said Toomey. “We think it would be mutually beneficially simply because it would increase our numbers, our coverage, and afford the citizens of both towns more of a police presence.”

“Right now, the feedback I’m getting from other council members is, obviously, we’re going to be cautious and make sure we’re not taking anything away from our police department, but at the same time we realize that small towns have a hard time nowadays keeping police officers,” added Baull. “So, once you get a police officer trained and on the streets, in another year or two, a bigger town like a Milford or a Dover can offer those officers a lot more money, a lot better benefits than the smaller towns can.”

Presley said he, too, hopes to have as many people attend as possible.

“We want to get as much input as we can,” he said, adding, “It’s been a mixed bag so far. Some people are very in favor of it, with the increase in drug crimes, speeding and beach traffic — they’re very in favor of it. And some are looking at the financial implications and are not so thrilled about it.

“I guess that’s the reason we wanted to have a couple of public forums, so that all the residents from both towns could weigh in and see where everybody stands.”

Presley said the Town of Frankford has yet to involve its town solicitor in any discussions about the possible merger, but he added that once the forums have been held, the decision for both towns will likely be made quickly.

“I think it’ll be a relatively quick decision, whether we go forward with it or not — maybe a matter of weeks. If so — if we do go forward with it — Dagsboro says we could be up and running in 60 days. If we decide to not go forward with it, we’ll immediately start advertising for a new police chief.”

Community welcomes military veterans and families

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Earlier this week, 25 Very Important Families (VIFs) joined the Bethany Beach community. Some would argue they’re the most important visitors to the area in the whole year. No, they’re not celebrities who are known to visit the area, such as Dave Grohl or Denzel Washington — they are 25 military veterans and their families who are taking part in a weeklong respite through the efforts of Operation SEAs the Day.

The mission of the non-profit organization created five years ago was “to organize and facilitate a beach week event for our wounded soldiers and their families as a means of showing our appreciation for their service and sacrifice. It is our hope that such a community-based gesture of support will be comforting and help ease their transition back into civilian life.”

With that goal in mind, they have worked with organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project to find veterans in need to apply for a week’s stay in quiet beach community.

On Sept. 5, 25 VIFs, along with six alumni families, arrived in Bethany Beach. Those families included nine children 5 or younger, 16 kids ages 6 to 9, eight kids ages 10 to 12, and eight teenagers.

During their time in town, the families were able to enjoy a welcome reception, cookout and bonfire at Sea Colony and a family night, as well as a number of activities, such as kayaking, horseback riding and tennis clinics.

While the majority of events created for the warriors and their families are closed to the public, the community is being encouraged to take part in the “A Hero’s Welcome Home” motorcade that will take the VIFs to a concert at the Freeman Stage at Bayside on Friday, with people invited to stand alongside the route and show their support.

On Friday, Sept. 8, buses filled with VIFs will leave Sea Colony at 4:30 p.m., expected to arrive at Bayside between 5 and 5:15 p.m. The buses will be accompanied by local police and fire departments, the Delaware State Police and more.

Those who participate along the roadside are being encouraged to wear red, white and blue while they wave American flags as the motorcade goes by. The route will also be lined with hand-drawn posters thanking the veterans and their families for their service to their country, and welcoming them to Bethany.

Following the parade, the VIFs will go into the Cove at Bayside and enjoy dinner before attending the Bruce in the USA show.

The following day, the third annual Cripple Creek Classic Car Show will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which the community can enjoy walking around and ogling classic cars. The proceeds of the event are donated to Operation SEAs the Day, and the awards ceremony includes a Veteran’s Best Pick.

While the families will pack up and leave on Sunday, Sept. 10, after a farewell breakfast, the organizers said they hope they will take their time in Bethany Beach back home with them, and know that Bethany and the country thank them for their service to their country.

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