The Forge Youth Academy is looking for a new home, having been denied a conditional-use request as the organization sought to move into the former Food Rite property on Main Street in Selbyville.

The Selbyville Planning & Zoning Commission denied Forge’s request on March 13, by unanimous vote.

Forge currently meets at the House of Mercy on Route 113, just north of Selbyville, but is looking for a new location, since House of Mercy will be vacating those premises in August, according to Tara Shrieves, co-founder of the Forge youth program.

Shrieves said she had submitted 52 letters in support of the organization as part of the conditional-use process and had collected 100 signatures on a petition supporting Forge.

She said there were enough supporters at a February meeting on the application that the meeting room was “standing-room only.” According to meeting minutes, although Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman Jay Murray acknowledged the number of people in attendance, he noted that only four of those in the audience actually live in Selbyville and that the commission represents the residents of Selbyville.

Murray also noted that the hearing was addressing the proposed location, not the merits of the program itself. Forge holds weekly youth gatherings on Friday nights and has begun a program called REWIND, which provides support for young adults who are restarting their lives after issues such as incarceration or drug use.

Shrieves, in an interview this week, emphasized that, contrary to comments from some who opposed the application, REWIND is not “drug rehab.” Instead, it provides career counseling and other services to those who are ready to take the next step toward productive lives.

At the February P&Z meeting, Murray told Shrieves the commission would “not even consider occupation of the building” until all work to renovate it is complete. According to meeting minutes, Murray also “indicated he was willing to work with Forge but that the members needed to discuss appropriate conditions to attach to any approval.”

Murray also told Shrieves that, even if the planning commission approved the application, the final decision would be up to the town council.

The owner of the property is Leimbach Investments LLC, which plans to put a carpet store on part of the property. Leimbach, as the property owner, would have been ultimately responsible for meeting any conditions imposed by the commission.

Commissioner Mike Doyle expressed concerns about that property’s proximity to the road, fearing that children would “run into the busy street,” according to the meeting minutes. Doyle was also concerned that trucks for the carpet business would cause a problem.

A sole resident, Councilman Clarence “Bud” Tingle, spoke against the application. Tingle, who lives across the street from the proposed location, stated that Forge “does not belong in a residential neighborhood.” The proposed site is zoned as Historic Business.

After a motion by Commissioner and Councilman Rick Duncan, the application was tabled at the February meeting. At the next planning commission meeting, however, the application was denied.

“As of now,” Shrieves said, “we have five months to find a new home.”

Once it does so, she said, she hopes to expand existing Forge programs, such as Forge Fridays, and add more Saturday activities for families, such as movie nights, small concerts and other activities. She said she would also like to add drop-in hours for teens “so that they’re not out running in the street” after school, and “to give kids a safe zone to hang out that’s drug- and alcohol-free.”

Teens in the program currently gather on Saturdays for community-service projects, she said.

Shrieves said that, ideally, she would like to find a space that has at least 2,000 square feet available.

“We’re not going to give up,” she said.

The Ocean View Town Council is looking to raise property taxes by 50 percent in its next fiscal budget and maintain that rate for two fiscal years.

The council had originally discussed possibly raising property taxes by 100 percent to fund planned capital projects, which, in total, are estimated to cost $4.6 million. Council members stated this week that the increase in tax rate would allow for the Town to pay for the projects as it weans itself off transfer taxes — a revenue source known to be unreliable.

“Why were the drainage projects postponed for years? Keep in mind that, to my knowledge, no one on previous councils nor anyone on this current council ever said, ‘Let’s ignore the problem for 10 years and see what happens,’” said Mayor Walter Curran.

“Every year, the issues that came before the council were piecemeal, nibbling at the edges of the problem. Each year, it was easier and cheaper to postpone the projects than fight the necessary battles with the citizens on getting the easements required. Eminent-domain proceedings take time and money.”

Curran said the Town has had issues with attaining easements for years — and not solely easements for drainage and road work.

“The Town has been offered free sidewalks by [the Delaware Department of Transportation], extending from Route 26 up Central to the town line at the bridge over the canal. It was a ‘feel-good’ project. We couldn’t complete that project because a few of the residents on Central would not agree to easements. When the Town offered to go for eminent domain, DelDOT refused, saying they didn’t want to force anyone into accepting ‘free sidewalks.’

“The irony of this is that many of those same people that are refusing to grant easements for the drainage projects are the loudest and most consistent complainers when it rains and parts of their property are underwater.”

The proposed 100 percent tax increase would have ensured the Town would have enough revenue generated in the next five years to cover operating expenses and all known capital projects.

Curran said that, in thinking more about the proposed increase, it became evident that finishing all known and necessary capital improvement projects would be difficult to do in a five-year period.

“With 100 percent increase, we are building a large surplus in the first two years, anticipating that everything goes on-schedule. I have found that, wherever a large surplus of money is found, politicians try to find ways to spend it, often ignoring the original intended purpose.”

With that in mind, Curran proposed that the council return to the proposed 50 percent increase they had discussed at previous budget workshops.

“That will give us the necessary cash to accomplish our purpose through 2021 without building up an excess cash surplus. At that time, whoever is on the council can assess the situation and determine how much of a tax increase is needed at that time to complete the capital projects over the next three years,” he said.

“Please keep in mind that another tax increase will be necessary in 2022 in order to complete the capital projects, but a more accurate assessment can be made in 2012 for what those costs will be.”

With a 50 percent increase, based on the Town of Ocean View’s assessed property values and property tax rate for the 2018 fiscal year, homes assessed at $200,000, $300,000, $400,000 and $500,000 would see an annual increase of $165.40, $248.10, $330.80 and $413.50, respectively.

Curran said the Town has already started the condemnation process for 13 properties with its solicitor in order to get easements to complete the Woodland Avenue and Woodland Park projects. A rough estimate of the cost for that work is $40,000.

The budget, he said, is balanced in terms of operating expenses; however, the Town cannot afford to pay for necessary capital improvements, focusing on drainage and road repairs.

“They’re stacked up like cord wood,” he said. “We have prioritized them… We are pushing them as fast as we can.”

Curran defends Town’s communication

Curran also addressed recent complaints that the Town does not do enough to keep its citizens informed.

“This is not the first time this topic has arisen. The Town of Ocean View has excellent communications. We have the website, which lists everything that is going on in town. We post every notice that is required by the town charter and state government, pertaining to every meeting, whether it is the town council meeting or one of the committees.

“It was stated on more than one occasion last night that there needs to be more input from the public on every issue. Sounds perfectly rational,” said Curran of comments at the Candidates’ Night preceding this year’s council election. “But what everyone here needs to understand is that this is a town, not an HOA or a neighborhood gathering. We have a charter and rules that we must follow.

“If you are interested in knowing what is going on in the Town, then read the newspapers for the notices, or go on the Town website and find out when and where the various meetings are being held. That is your obligation as a citizen.”

Curran said that if citizens are still not satisfied, they must consider how they found out about the Town’s Candidates’ Night and the budget workshop.

“Look at how many of you were here last night and tonight. The notification process was exactly the same as it is for every meeting. If you really want to know what is happening — and I hope that you do — then take the time and effort to find out when the meetings occur, and show up and voice your opinion. You are always welcome to the meetings.

“Many, many, many years ago, in college,” he continued, “I learned two important lessons from my Naval Science instructor: Communications is a two-way street. The end of the street that is listening is the better communicator.”

“I realize we do have avenues of information, but I, along with the rest of this council, apologize to the citizens of Ocean View for not keeping you informed of our intentions to wean off of our transfer taxes,” added Councilman Frank Twardzik. “This is not the first year we’ve done this. This is the fourth year.”

Councilman Tom Maly said the council is looking to pass an ordinance that would hold parties responsible when they attribute to drainage issues within the town and make them financially responsible for paying for improvements.

Curran said that ordinance would prevent future issues from getting to where some projects are currently, but that it does not fix the projects that need to be done now.

Councilwoman Carol Bodine asked Town Solicitor Dennis Schrader if a sunset clause could be created to go along with a tax increase.

“Annually, you have the opportunity to reset the tax burden based upon the amount of money you expend,” said Schrader. “If you were to — if I understood your hypothetical — keep the tax level as proposed for a couple years and then, at the third year, there would be a reduction of expenditures, and therefore you would like to reduce the tax rate, that opportunity is present every year you do a budget, based on what you choose to spend money for.

“You could have a sunset clause,” he concluded. “The question I have about that would be whether or not there would be any contingencies, emergencies between now and two or three years from now that would change your thinking on the cap that you’ll have set.”

Taxpayers ask for expense cuts

Many individuals attended the council’s budget workshop March 27 to voice their concerns about the proposed 100 percent property tax increase and give suggestions on how to save.

Property owner John Merryman asked why monies were budgeted for projects and never used.

Town Finance Director Sandra Peck clarified that the Town did not have the funding for the projects.

“The original adopted budget for Fiscal Year ’18 had Town reserves being used of $1.3 million. It did not balance last year. The adopted budget, when you accounted for the operating, balanced. But once you factored in the capital projects, which included Woodland Avenue Extended, there was a deficit of $1.3 million… It’s not smoke and mirrors. It wasn’t spent.”

Daisy Avenue resident Anne Powell, a local Realtor, said the council’s concerns related to dwindling transfer tax were unwarranted. She said new-construction homes in the town are created by demand — a demand she said will not go away once all the land in town is developed.

“This is not going to stop because we don’t have new construction,” she said. “I don’t believe your transfer taxes are going to be cut in half.”

Berton Reynolds, a resident of Fairway Village who is running against Bodine for the District 4 council seat, asked if the Town has looked at hiring a full-time engineer.

“Just for Woodland Avenue was over $676,000 in engineering.”

“That is being actively looked at,” said Curran.

John Reddington of Bear Trap asked if the Town was doing everything it could to collect gross rental receipts tax, including from those who rent their properties online.

“The Town is doing everything it can,” said Curran. “Everything rented through a Realtor or agent gets reported to the Town. There’s a whole bunch of people who rent for themselves and cheat the system… It’s extremely difficult, unless someone rats them out.”

Katie Rehrig said the council needed to take a closer look as to what budget cuts could be made prior to proposing a tax increase.

“You can’t tax us and not look more closely to your budget,” she said.

“This council has said at this point in time we’re not making any cuts,” responded Curran.

Easements key in project costs, delays

Rehrig also asked about a specific timeline for the projects.

“It’s very vague, I think, without having a clear schedule and timeline.”

“Last year, we went out to communities and said, ‘If you, as neighborhoods, want to get together and talk… whoever gets easements first, that project goes to the top of the list,” said Curran. “Woodland Avenue and Woodland Park are at top of the list for the next two years That’s as close as we have for a listed time schedule.”

Property owner Jim Reichert asked if the council had considered forming a tax ditch corporation.

Curran said he did not believe it would be approved by the State.

“I’m not sure it answers the question of saving money,” said Schrader. “I’m not sure it would be a financial benefit.”

“I think it would be a much more difficult project to create a brand-new ditch somewhere out there to be able to drain more water effectively. You will be fighting the exact same projects but maybe on a much larger scale,” added Curran, noting that he would research the idea more.

Rachel Quillen said she had attended the meeting to represent the young families who live in town and who cannot afford the increase.

“I want you to consider that not everyone in Ocean View is retired and rich,” she said. “There are families that you will affect.”

Briarcliffe resident Dan Verona called attention to California’s Proposition 13, to reform taxes and rollback property tax assessments.

“This was highly successful,” said Verona.

He added that if the tax increase was to be approved, property owners would be looking for solutions, such as unincorporating from the town.

“Maybe our police force is a luxury that we cannot afford,” he added.

Cindy Hall of The Cottages suggested the Town look into doing something with the old town hall.

“What are we doing with this? We’re paying heat, we’re paying insurance, we’re paying cooling. It’s just sitting here. It used to house offices… It doesn’t anymore. Rent it out, collect income.”

Currently, the Town does rent out the space to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

“What will you do of people don’t pay this tax increase?” she added. “Then what are you going to do?”

Hall noted that Bethany Beach, which raised its property taxes by 100 percent in 2008, now has a tax base of 17.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Peck said the Town’s current tax rate in Ocean View is 16.52 cents per $100 of assessed value.

“You have our attention now,” said property owner Tricia Supik. “If we weren’t listening before, we’re listening now.”

Property owner Bob Thornton said he is not in favor of tax increases, noting that last year he paid approximately $80,000 in taxes and fees for his projects in the town.

Thornton asked if the council would consider allowing property owners to pay four quarterly payments, rather than require one lump sum.

As an example, Thornton said that his property south of Bear Trap is 6 feet away from an easement that would take half of the Town’s water and convey it to Miller’s Creek.

“We fought and could not get a 6-foot easement, so therefore I built a 5-acre lake,” he said. “Something to look into. I’ll charge the Town, let’s say, a dollar or two a year, and give direct conveyance through my project.”

The council will hold another budget workshop on April 3 at 6 p.m., and plans to vote on the 2019-fiscal-year budget on April 10. Copies of the draft budget may be acquired by visiting the administration offices at the Wallace A. Melson Municipal Building at 201 Central Avenue.

Coastal Point • Kerin Magill: Sandie Gerken poses for a photo with her book, ‘Storied Sussex.’ The book is a compilation of columns Gerken wrote for High Tide News.Camp meetings, “Chief Little Owl,” John M. Clayton, the “Giant Dead Boy” of Frankford, the 1948 collapse of the bridge over the Indian River Inlet, the 1787 Sussex County election riots. Scrapple.

All of these have been the subject of Sandie Gerken’s estimable research and writing skills in recent years, and now they are part of a book, “Storied Sussex,” which arrived from the publisher last week.

The book is a compilation of columns written by Gerken, a Dagsboro resident, over a three-year period for the High Tide News. As a whole, they present a colorful patchwork quilt of the history of Delaware’s southernmost county — stories of grand schemes and brilliant minds, alongside tales of murder and mayhem.

When the newspaper stopped publication last year, its publisher, Judy Layman, offered to publish a book of Gerken’s writings, and Gerken jumped at the chance.

“Storied Sussex” is actually Gerken’s second book. She previously wrote “Memories of the Clayton Theatre” about the Dagsboro landmark, as a fundraiser to help the Clayton purchase digital projection equipment. Gerken is not only Dagsboro’s “unofficial historian,” she is also uniquely qualified to pen a history of the theater, since it was once owned by members of her own family.

It’s not the only local story to which Gerken has a personal connection. One of the more popular “tall tales” to come from Sussex County is that of the Swamp Monster, a mysterious “creature” that turned out to be a marketing ploy by Ralph Grapperhaus, editor of the Delmarva News. The actual human underneath the Swamp Monster costume turned out to be none other than Selbyville’s Freddie Stevens — Gerken’s third cousin.

“I had no idea,” she said — until the secret was revealed 20-some years after Swamp Monster hysteria swept the area.

Her newest book contains 42 of her columns, as well as two fictional tales, which are ghost stories she told her two sons when they were younger. The stories, she said, were a way to make long car trips go faster. They are now preserved for the ages — at the end of the book, with the tantalizing titles “Mungs’t Ya, Better Mind Mung’ums!” and “Up the Back Staircase.”

The other pieces in the book, Gerken said, are “stories about people, lost industries, such as button-making and holly wreath-making, and sea captains,” as well as stories of local landmarks, including the Indian River Inlet Bridge and Route 113.

Gerken said she loves the research involved in telling the stories of Sussex County.

“I call it my ‘secret sauce,’” she said.

Her love of history was formed, Gerken said, “by osmosis.” As a child, her family would spend hours riding back roads, looking for connections to family history in old cemeteries.

“To this day, I’m very comfortable in cemeteries,” she said.

At John M. Clayton High School in the 1960s, Gerken was editor of the school newspaper and thought she might like to be a newspaper reporter.

“But I was discouraged,” she said. “People said that was ‘a man’s job.’” When the opportunity came to write her history columns for High Tide, Gerken said, she found an outlet for her passions for writing and research.

In the process of diving into the stories of Sussex County, Gerken said, “I amassed all these files. Files and files…When I research something, I research it to death,” she said with a chuckle.

She found herself spending hours and hours in libraries, looking at old newspapers, as well as “in people’s houses,” hearing first-person stories, and doing some research online.

When the paper ceased publication, she said, “I kind of felt like crying,” — at least at first. “People said, ‘Don’t stop writing,’” she said, and they assured her that another outlet for her stories would present itself. Although ending the regular column was sad, Gerken said one thing she didn’t miss was the deadline pressure a newspaper column presented, and the limitation of 1,200 words in which to tell her beloved stories.

Sure enough, another platform did present itself, in the form of Layman’s book offer. Now that the book is off the presses and is being distributed to area bookstores and other shops, sitting down for an interview at South Coastal Library earlier this week, Gerken sighed.

“It’s overwhelming!” she said of the challenges that come with being a published author.

Challenges aside, Gerken said she is already thinking about the possibility of a second volume.

“If this one is successful, there will be another book,” she said.

When she’s not researching Sussex County history, Gerken enjoys painting — lately, roosters and chickens are a favorite subject. Though she realizes her paintings could probably fetch a decent price, she said she hasn’t sold any because then people might want commissioned pieces and “then I’d have to make it what someone else wanted.”

She also remains involved in the TOPSoccer program for children with disabilities, which she started at River Soccer with her husband, longtime local soccer coach and teacher Howard Gerken. Since 1980, Gerken has also served as caretaker and docent at the historic Prince George’s Chapel in Dagsboro.

So far, 250 copies of “Storied Sussex” have been printed. Gerken said one of the advantages of self-publishing is that she doesn’t have to do large printings, which keeps the cost down and allows her to be able to print subsequent batches in whatever quantity she needs.

“Storied Sussex” is available for $19.99 at several local businesses, including the Clayton Theatre and Jayne’s Reliable in Dagsboro and at McCabe’s Gourmet Market in South Bethany, as well as at the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce in Fenwick Island. The book is also available online at www.storiedsussex.com, or by calling Gerken directly at (302) 732-6835. Information on the book is also available on Facebook under “Storied Sussex.”

After a winter of maintenance and frustration, the indoor swimming and therapy pool at Howard T. Ennis School should reopen April 9.

It is a public pool, in addition to serving Ennis students and hosting several swim teams for the Indian River School District. The Dr. Lorraine Wray Aquatic Center offers individual or family memberships, swimming lessons, pool parties and lifeguard certifications.

The challenge starts with the pool’s size. The large facility includes a small handicapped-accessible pool connected to a large standard-size pool with lanes used by local swim teams. But the entire facility is practically tropical, because the therapy pool and air temperature must be roughly 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Anyone wearing a full set of clothes is likely sweating after a few minutes.

The climate and pool chemicals are exhausting for the 24-hour dehumidifier serving the rest of the pool’s mechanical equipment. The PoolPak dehumidifier needed maintenance in December, but repairs and parts replacement have taken months.

Then, mold was found. With the humidity out of control, many or all accessories needed replacing, from lifejackets to baby changing tables. Despite their toughest scrubbing, the staff couldn’t guarantee equipment was free of mold.

Costs have climbed to tens of thousands of dollars, between repairs, accessories and a pool/school-wide professional cleaning service. Budgets were paid partly by state and local funds.

“Just my experience — it was completely different. You could just tell the air was fresher, better than before,” said Jim Fritz, IRSD School Board member, of the repairs. “It looks good up there, the painting, the ceiling tiles all brand new, the flooring has been repaired. The locker rooms probably look the best they have in a long time. I can tell a lot of work has been done up there.”

Hoping to save on future maintenance projects, the school board just approved a new $3,200 annual maintenance contract for the mechanical systems through Buildings Systems & Services Inc.

The Howard T. Ennis school itself needs to be replaced. Paperwork is under way to transfer state-owned land at the Stockley Center to the Indian River School District, which oversees Ennis, so that it can build a replacement there. Next, the Delaware General Assembly needs to sign off, and Sussex County must approve the property subdivision.

This summer, IRSD Superintendent Mark Steele said, he hopes the state budget will allocate about $2.9 million for planning, which should take about nine to 12 months.

Luckily for local taxpayers, the State will pay for construction of the State-owned school, which serves all Sussex County children with severe needs. However, Steele anticipated that the State will only fund a small therapy pool, not a full-sized lap pool.

With repairs completed at the current Ennis facility, swim lessons and other services will resume soon. Details are online at www.irsd.net/our_schools/other_facilities.

In one of Selbyville’s shortest town council meetings in years, residents still learned about two major potential building projects on April 2.

First of all, Royal Farms was granted unanimous approval on preliminary site plans for a gas station and convenience store, located at the southwest corner of Route 113 and Cemetery Avenue.

The undeveloped land (tax parcel 533-16.00-42.00) is currently owned by Mumford Sheet Metal, which operates the massive workshop across the street.

A whopping 90 parking spots would accompany the proposed 5,371-square-foot building, plus eight fueling aisles and three diesel fueling aisles. There would be no car wash.

With a preliminary site plan, engineers can finish designing the site, then procure state and county permits. Finally, they’ll return to Selbyville Town Council for final site plan approvals. Developers hope for entrances from both Route 113 and Cemetery Road.

“It’s a good thing for the town. They do a nice job,” said council member Jay Murray.

Also, Selbyville is on the prowl for a new Town Hall, and they’ve set sights on the former PNC Bank building.

The Town is in negotiations to buy the PNC building, although Councilmember Clarence “Bud” Tingle Jr. wouldn’t go into pricing details because of a nondisclosure agreement.

It’s the “perfect location,” Mayor Clifton Murray said of the two-story building on Selbyville’s main downtown corner. Church Street and Main Street are already the focal point of the Halloween and Christmas parades. The current Town Hall and police station are adjacent to the water plant, but the one-story building has limited storage and space.

The PNC Bank at permanently closed the 1 West Church Street location on June 16, 2017. At the time, the company asked if Selbyville would permit a mini drive-through ATM at Town Hall parking lot. Now the tables have turned as Town Council considers using PNC’s property instead. Currently, the four lots in the PNC parcel include the building, several small parking lots and a grassy lot.

PNC Bank corporation is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Sussex County’s mapping website lists Baltimore Trust Co. as the landowner, with a PO Box in Chicago.

In other Selbyville news:

• Delaware Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT) will have a 90-day paving Route 54 project through town from April 16 to late July. The project stretches along Main Street, from Cemetery Road to Lighthouse Road (Route 54), plus another six miles on Route 54 to Sound Church Road.

Contractor Allan Myers Inc. will be constructing ADA compliant curb ramps, plus milling, overlaying and striping the pavement. Motorists should drive cautiously through the lane closures and shifts, especially as construction personnel and equipment will be operating in close proximity to the lanes.

Although the timing isn’t ideal this major summer travel route, Town Council look forward to the finished product.

• The 61st annual Old Timer’s Day festival will be June 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Church Street. Classic cars, tractors and emergency vehicles from 1988 and earlier will line Church Street in Selbyville, with a live band, door prizes, vendors and children’s activities. Admission is free, with $10 vehicle registration fee and $30 vendor fee. Details are online at http://business.bethany-fenwick.org/events.

• There has been no progress in fixing the deterioration of Railroad Avenue, which first showed signs of collapse in May of 2015. Nestled between the railroad tracks and Mountaire poultry plant, the road crosses the Sandy Branch tax ditch, which flows west to east in a galvanized metal pipe that has begun to rust out. The Town temporarily reinforced the crumbling soil and asphalt, but now, barricades are once more blocking the road to through traffic.

There was a repair plan, but it was never bid out. Initial cost estimates were hundreds of thousands of dollars, and no one knew exactly who is responsible for paying.

• There will be a Comprehensive Plan workshop on Thursday, April 5, at 4 p.m. to continue discussion among the Mayor, town council, Planning and Zoning Commission and Comprehensive Land Use team.

• Housing developments are filling the town with people — and sewage. Although things are operating well now, pump stations at Poly Branch Road and Route 54 will be overwhelmed when the town is built out. Town council will discuss upgrades at a future workshop meeting.

• Selbyville Police Department’s newest officer, Megan Loulou, has completed initial training and is now patrolling solo.

The police will crack down on distracted driving enforcement this month, especially cell phone use, as Chief W. Scott Collins noticed car collision numbers have reached an eight-year high.

• At Phillip C. Showell Elementary, the massive “OurTown” mural fills the hallways, painted by the students and artist John Donato.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I had four galleries,” complimented Mountaire’s Roger Marino.

Selbyville Town Council’s next regular meeting will be Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m.

A Selbyville barber and tattoo shop is getting back on track, collecting required permits after being shut down in November.

The Division of Public Health has completed inspections and issued a permit on Jan. 24 for Miguelangel Tattoo Art to operate in B & B Barbershop, Unit 203 of 5 W. Church Street.

“The shop was actually issued a conditional permit on Dec. 14 when the site was inspected. Its regular operating permit was granted on Jan. 24 when the permit fee was paid. It expires on Sept. 30 because all permits for body art establishments expire the same day. They will apply for a new permit at that time,” according to Andrea Wojcik of Office of Health and Risk Communication, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health.

(Because of a clerical error, the DPH tattoo permit was written for a Frankford address, but will be corrected to Selbyville.)

The site will be inspected annually and also if any complaints arise.

Miguelangel Garcia Colon will operate the tattoo shop within the existing barber shop, but in a separate, gated space. Business hours will be Tuesday to Saturday. There will be no body piercings.

Selbyville Town Council recently granted the property a conditional use permit for tattoo operations (although no specific conditions were placed on the applicant). That zoning permit stays with the property, even if the business itself leaves.

Much of the building is under renovation, said English. Most of the seven units aren’t being rented because the building needs a new roof and renovations.

B & B Barber Shop was ordered to close on Nov. 28. Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) ordered them to stop performing body art activities without a permit, but then closed the overall barber shop for “grossly unsanitary conditions.” Inspectors had found evidence of a rodent infestation, improper disposal of sharps and other conditions that could cause transmission of disease.

The pest problem is being addressed, Deborah Pepper English told the Selbyville Planning and Zoning Commission. English purchased the Church Street Station shopping center last summer, but more recently became aware of the health and pest problems.

“Before getting any kind of body art done, people should always insist on seeing the DPH permit, which is required to be posted in an obvious place,” DPH Director Karyl Rattay stated last winter.

“Ms. English confirmed that Mr. Garcia would dispose of his needles in a biohazard container,” according to P&Z meeting minutes.

Town Hall has issued a town business license to B & B because Delaware Division of Revenue also issued a state business license.

However, the facility and the barbers themselves must have permits or licenses from the Division of Professional Regulation, under the Department of State. Typically, DPR only licenses the actual practitioners, but it also licenses hair and nail salon facilities.

During site visits, DPR inspects for cleanliness for Division of Public Health; the two state and town business licenses; and DPR licenses for individuals.

“B & B was found not to have the appropriate establishment license from us and we issued a Cease and Desist Order on December 18, 2017. The owner has subsequently come forth to obtain the necessary application for a license, but we have not received anything yet,” as of March 28, according to Doug Denison, Delaware Department of State’s director of community relations.

Cat clinic discovered

The Planning and Zoning Commission were also surprised to hear that two downstairs units were being used for the Forgotten Cats trap/neuter/release program.

Although Pepper suggested that “clinics” are allowed in the historic business zoning district, the town officials disagreed. Only human clinics are permitted in the historic commercial district.

Veterinary services are permitted in the regular commercial district.

Forgotten Cats did not seek a business license to operate there, either.

“No one contacted the town regarding this business/activity prior to starting,” said Town Administrator Stacey Long. “Since it is located within the historic business district, this type of activity/operation/business is not a permitted use within the district.”

Since then, “They received a notice from the code enforcement officer that that is not a permitted use within the district,” said Long. “So as of right now, nothing should be going on [there].”

It’s time to start building a plan. Indian River School District has scheduled a special meeting to discuss the district’s future building and major capital improvement needs.

The Major Capital Planning Committee meeting will now be held on Wednesday, April 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sussex Central High School auditorium. This public meeting was rescheduled from March 20.

The school board will invite district administrators to share current and projected enrollment figures; review the district’s 2016 Certificate of Necessity submission to the State of Delaware; and accept community input on ways to relieve overcrowding in district schools.

Sussex Central High School is located at 26026 Patriots Way in Georgetown.

The process

IR School Board have emphasized the need for additional schools, especially in the Millsboro and Georgetown area. While awaiting a permanent solution, IRSD staff have been researching the price of trailers to double as classrooms — just in case.

IRSD’s rapid population growth mirrors the rest of Sussex County, as new housing developments and businesses spring up.

Through the Major Capital Planning Committee, the school board members hope to have many discussions together and with district staff. All meetings should be open to the public, regardless of location.

IRSD has to work fast. Their full proposals are due by Aug. 31. By autumn, the state should decide whether to grant the Certificate of Necessity for each project. Once the need is established, and if the State has enough money to pay its share of the project, the school district hosts a major capital improvement referendum, in which the public votes on whether to raise local taxes. The CN expires after one year.

This is almost a repeat of the winter of 2015 to 2016, when the school district hammered out a request for expansion. In October, 2016, the Department of Education approved four Certificates of Necessity (CNs) for major construction: a new elementary school at the Ingram Pond property in Millsboro; a new middle school on the Sussex Central High School property north of Millsboro; 26 additional classrooms, expanded cafeteria and another gymnasium at Sussex Central High School; and replacement of the Howard T. Ennis School building in Georgetown.

At the time, DOE rejected renovation/expansion of the cafeteria at Phillip C. Showell Elementary School in Selbyville and stairwell/mechanical room repairs at Lord Baltimore Elementary School in Ocean View. In 2012, the State had rejected IRSD’s idea for a new middle or elementary school, only agreeing to let IRSD to tack 38 new classrooms and a new kitchen at seven schools.

In the next seven years, Superintendent Mark Steele expects natural growth of more than 1,600 students or 15 percent of the current 10,700 enrollment. That number doesn’t even include the influx of families moving to Sussex County. That’s more than double the size of a standard 750-student elementary school. In the past seven years, IRSD has grown by over 1,800 students, but only added 38 physical classrooms.

Land locked down

IRSD already owns most, if not all of the land. Their small Ingram Pond science center sits on 179-acre parcel on Godwin School Road. A new elementary school would relieve pressure for East Millsboro Elementary School, thus making room for some Long Neck students.

Sussex Central High School sits on a 155-acre parcel that could fit another two schools, if needed, although only a middle school is proposed there.

Right now, across the street from SCHS, the State of Delaware is currently processing a transfer 29 acres from Delaware Health and Social Services to Indian River. Since the Stockley Center wasn’t using that empty field, a new Howard T. Ennis School seemed the next best use for public land. Next, the state legislature must sign off, and the county approve a subdivision of land.

Ennis on different schedule

Planning for Howard T. Ennis School is already underway. As a special school administered by the IRSD, Ennis actually serves students countywide with significant cognitive delays, from very young children to age 21.

The state pays 100 percent for special schools, so Ennis only needed state approval, not a public referendum or local funds.

The good news is that Ennis doesn’t need to rely on public referendum. The bad news is that competition for state money is fierce.

This summer, Superintendent Mark Steele hopes the state budget will allocate about $2.9 million for planning, which should take about nine to twelve months.

State Sen. Gerald Hocker Sr. recently toured Ennis to see “hallways that are crowded with equipment that needs to be used for the kids, marks on the doors when wheelchairs go in and out, so he got a firsthand view of why it was needed,” said Superintendent Mark Steele.

That’s why residents need to advocate for Ennis and other schools, said George H. Bunting Jr. a former state senator and education advocate.

“It’s better that a lot of the parents or grandparents that are close to the legislators … call them up on the phone, tell them what the need is,” Bunting told Coastal Point.

“Letter writing is okay, but I’d rather see you pick up the phone and call an individual legislator and say ‘we need this’ … You get things done that way,” Bunting said. “Right now the big issue is getting on the list [for money] … you’ve got all this politics you’ve got to get through,” Bunting said.

Public paying attention

Some people in the community are still wary of the school district’s plight, remembering the State Auditor’s less-than-flattering October 2016 report accusing the school board and former CFO of weak financial policies and some financial mismanagement.

By then, the district had abandoned its quest for new school buildings, because that year’s state budget and IR’s own local funds were dangerously low.

That timing was bad luck because a month later, IRSD hosted a current expense referendum — which originally failed by 20 votes — to increase the baseline of operating money from local taxes.

The referendum passed in spring of 2017, and after severe tightening of the belts, IRSD has nearly rebuilt its financial reserves to the $15 million goal.

“I urge you to go to public referendum to build much needed schools in the Indian River School District,” Bunting told the school board this spring. “I cannot remember in my tenure as legislature as many leaders from Sussex County, serving in high places in Dover.”

This year, many Sussex County natives or IRSD graduates have key leadership positions, including Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Department of Education Secretary Susan Bunting, Speaker of the House Pete Schwarzkopf and locals on key committees for Delaware General Assembly finance, education and bond bill.

The school district website is www.irsd.net and phone number is (302) 436-1000.

Coastal Point • Submitted : Confidence is the name of the game for these BPA state winners from Indian River High School. Pictured, from left, are: front row, Jabes Lopez, Morgan Bartholomew, Elaina Lopez, Josue Lopez, Brooke Weaver, Luke Morgan and Alexa Indian River High School is getting down to business. This spring, 10 students earned a trip to the 2018 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas.

BPA extends classroom learning to test real-world skills in business, tech, leadership, citizenship and academics.

IR’s winners included Gavin Clattenburg (first place, Extemporaneous Speech); Brooke Weaver (first place, Interview Skills); Alexa Fitz (second place, Entrepreneurship); Luke Morgan (second place, Banking & Finance); Morgan Bartholomew, Elaina Lopez, Jabes Lopez and Josue Lopez (second place, Video Production); Isaac Chandler (third place, PC Servicing & Troubleshooting); and Nick Marchetti (third place, Entrepreneurship). Their teacher advisors are Jeff Bunting and Steve Kilby.

“I’m really thrilled that the students put forth the effort,” Bunting said. “They’re not just showing up and giving a presentation. The students are putting in a lot of their own personal time. We’re talking evenings and weekends. They’re taking wheat they’ve learned in the classroom … to the next level.”

Although their state competition day ran from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., “The kids were absolute models of conduct. They were absolutely professional,” donning suits to compete, some for the first time, Bunting noted.

BPA, he said, is producing better public speakers, with more confidence, since so many of them must present to judges.

“Any presentation, any test — you just gotta walk in with confidence. I think all of us definitely do that,” Weaver said. “I definitely see a lot of future success in the organization with all the freshmen that just came in. I mean, they’re already at nationals, so it’s pretty awesome!”

“Everybody should join BPA!” said Josue Lopez.

In all, 24 IR students competed at the State Leadership Conference in Dover on Feb. 27. Nationals are May 9 to 14. Delaware’s delegation will network and learn alongside other U.S. students.

BPA is a serious time commitment. Students started working in September, after school, on weekends and between their other commitments, to sports, student government, clubs and regular academics.

Winning second place in Video Production were Morgan Bartholomew, Elaina Lopez, Jabes Lopez and Josue Lopez (no relation).

All of the teams had to create a video on the importance of sleep. Bunting joked that the topics are often dull, probably to test the students’ creativity.

But IR delivered. Judges were impressed with the video production and the students’ on-site interview. Their video included funny bits with other students, but also a serious interview with a school nurse. If they are named finalists, they’ll have just four hours to make another short video while they’re in Dallas.

Bartholomew said she wasn’t initially interested in video production, but after three years, she’s planning to study it in college, and her footage has already appeared in local commercials and news.

Isaac Chandler went in with cool confidence, having participated in middle school, but now placing third in PC Servicing & Troubleshooting, despite forgetting to bring a tech manual this year to the competition.

The one-hour paper test asked about “diagnosing computer errors, what steps do you go through to fix the thing,” Chandler explained.

Brooke Weaver earned first place for Interview Skills, which tested her job-hunting abilities. She interviewed for an administrative assistant position at an imaginary firm.

Initially during practice, she would rely too heavily on written notes, until “I ripped up my answers and threw them away, and I sat down with Mr. Bunting and Mr. Kilby,” which helped her think on her feet in competition, she said.

Alexa Fitz and Nick Marchetti earned second and third places, respectively, in the Entrepreneurship research project. They spent months writing a full business plan for a brand-new venture, including goals, financial background, licenses, equipment, the local market, potential problems and more.

Having placed nationally in the past, Fitz doubled the 15-page limit by writing extensive appendices. She earned second place for her plan for a food truck featuring seafood delicacies, such as lobster rolls, crabcakes and shrimp salad.

“Off-season is a big problem, though,” Fitz said. Tourists “all leave, so you’re left with not a whole lot of people to make money from. So, I established a catering system … so I could still make money during the offseason.”

Marchetti earned third place for his firearms-store and shooting-range business plan.

“You have to think about what people want and how you’re going to get them to buy your product,” said Marchetti, adding that he sees many local hunters but few gun stores or training areas in Sussex County.

Gavin Clattenburg had to think fast to win a gold medal in Extemporaneous Speech, in which contestants only have a few minutes to prepare a two-minute speech on an assigned topic.

“It’s pretty much a game of… if you know what you’re talking about, that’s great. But if you don’t, you just have to sound confident in it,” Clattenburg said. “It’s less about selling your research skills and more about selling your personality.”

His general format is to start with a personal story, elaborate on three talking points and then add a strong conclusion.

Six students also earned the prestigious Torch Award in Delaware, recognizing leadership, service, cooperation, knowledge, friendship, patriotism, as well as love, hope and faith: Madison Baker, Morgan Bartholomew, Gavin Clattenburg, Helen Davis, Alexa Fitz and Luke Morgan.

Besides competing, students also attended various workshops and seminars on college transition, personal finance and business skills.

Public help needed

Sending 10 students and Coach Kilby to Dallas carries a hefty price tag. IR has such a strong team that they must fundraise year-round, including a Color Run on June 2, plus a golf tournament in September.

This spring, students have led the charge in fundraising with the “10 For 20 BPA Nationals Fundraiser.” They’re selling $20 tickets to a raffle drawing for a brand-new Apple iPhone X.

Everyone wants this $1,000 phone, Morgan said, calling it “the mack daddy of the phones you can buy; the most expensive phone you can buy; the newest, the nicest, the highest capacity…” If not, the winner can sell it.

Morgan sees this as the real test, as the teenagers fuel the fundraiser with their new business skills.

“Understanding the numbers and how to market to people has really put everything together,” said Morgan, who earned second place in Banking & Finance, a paper test given before the state conference.

Information on the fundraiser is online at www.facebook.com/10for20NF. Payment is accepted via cash, check and PayPal. The live drawing will be held April 28 at 6 p.m. at Hooked Up Ale House & Raw Bar in Millville. Entrants do not have to be present to win.

“Thank you to our coaches, students and people who have come to help us, inside and outside the organization,” Morgan said. “And if you’re reading this, share our Facebook page relentlessly!”

Anyone wishing to sponsor the Indian River High School BPA can contact Jeff Bunting at (302) 732-1500.

The Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate 75 years of service to its community with a parade and an open house on Saturday, April 14.

With a signature from Delaware Secretary of State William J. Storey, the fire company was incorporated on March 16, 1943, according to company records. The incorporation papers were signed by Wilson O. McCabe, Cordrey McGee and Truman L. Campbell, all residents of Dagsboro.

Originally the fire company was located on Clayton Street, in the building that now houses the Bethel Center property and is owned by the Bethel United Methodist Church. When the DVFD called the building home, the fire equipment, two engines at the time, was housed on the first floor. Fund-raising dinners and other gatherings were held on the second floor.

Sandie Gerken, Dagsboro’s unofficial “town historian” and Dagsboro native, recalls “Christmas parties and chicken and dumpling dinners” there.

Melvin Rust, life member of the fire company, said the dinners and other events were the company’s “bread and butter” and helped raise money for its operation in the early days. Having joined the fire company in the late 1950s, Rust said he heard about carnivals the department held in earlier years but that those had stopped by the time he joined.

The carnivals, he said, were held on the outskirts of town near the Antioch Church. “They had ferris wheels and different things,” he said.

By 1963, the company had outgrown the Clayton Street facility and a fire house was built on Waples Street. At that point, a tanker had been added to the original two engines. Rust recalled that one of those was a 1953 engine and that his first assignment with the company was attending the “booster hose” on the fire trucks.

Rust recalled that in the early days, there was no state-mandated fire training – the Delaware State Fire School didn’t exist until 1966. Firefighter training, Rust said. “They had what they called a ‘field day,’” Rust said, which were mostly a series of demonstrations of different types of fires and how to fight them.

The fire department started its EMS division in 1972 with the purchase of an ambulance from the Millville Fire Company.

The DVFD remained at the Waples Street station until 2014, when, having outgrown its second home, the company moved into a new fire house. Back on Clayton Street, across from its original location, the new firehouse now includes adequate space for its current equipment – two engines, one engine tanker, one tanker, one brush utility truck, one heavy rescue truck, a marine unit, a dive trailer, a forestry unit, one utility truck, one van, a command vehicle and two ambulances.

“We got a bit more room,” said parade co-chair Wayne Bowden. “(It) helps us get out safely,” he said.

The new, modern station also includes living quarters for its paid EMS staff, which works 24-hour shifts.

The 75th anniversary celebration begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 14 with a parade, ending the fire station where there will be a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Fire companies from the area are sending apparatus to the parade to help Dagsboro celebrate its special day, according to Bowden.

The grand marshal of the parade will be none other than 86-year-old Melvin Rust, life member. Asked how he reacted when he was told of the honor, Rust said, simply, that “well, we did what we had to do.”

Following the ceremony, there will be free hot dogs and hamburgers, provided by – and cooked by — the Boy Scouts – “so (fire company) members can actually enjoy the day,” Bowden said.

The day will also include demonstrations from the Delaware State Fire School inside the fire house, as well as a rescue demonstration in the field next to the fire house.

—Staff Reporter Laura Walter contributed to this article.

One of the most horrifying “what if” scenarios has been careening through people’s minds for the past few years: what if an armed intruder terrorized my school, church or job?

Local first responders are teaching people how to defend themselves in such a terrifying event. Two free seminars are scheduled for April: Violent Intruder Preparedness and Response (VIPR) seminar on Tuesday, April 17, at Indian River High School, and Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) seminar on Friday, April 27, at Frankford Volunteer Fire Company.

Training is open to educators, churches, businesses and any other interested individuals.

“It is to improve awareness on what actions you should be taking if you find yourself in the middle of a hostile event, for example, an active shooter event,” said Robbie Murray of FVFD, although vehicles, bombs, knives and machetes are also used for mass terror events. “This is for civilians … the purpose of this class is to train the public in how they can act or react if they find themselves in the middle of a situation.”

First, the VIPR seminar will be held Tuesday, April 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Road in Dagsboro. Violent Intruder Preparedness and Response (VIPR) is amalgam of best practices that Delaware agencies have learned, hosted by Delaware State Police, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Education.

Topics include active shooter threats, emergency preparedness, suspicious activity reporting and hometown security threats. The seminars will not be specific to school security but will include several school-related issues. The same presentation was held March 28 at Sussex Central High School. More seminars will be scheduled across the state.

“We encourage churches, large medical facilities, large business and, obviously, the school environment to get a feel for how to protect themselves against violent intruders,” said Rodney Layfield, commander at DSP Troop 4 and school board member. “I encourage PTO organizations, school board members, teachers, get your staff out for these events.”

Next, CRASE training will be held Friday, April 27, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Frankford Volunteer Fire Company, 7 Main Street, Frankford.

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) is taught by local medics and police officers, in cooperation with Texas State University and the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT).

Large groups planning to attend should RSVP as a courtesy to Robbie Murray at (302) 236-9333 or Robbie.murray@frankfordfire.com.

The method of “Avoid, Deny, Defend” is an upgrade to the traditional “Run, Hide, Fight.” For instance, targets are encouraged to passively play dead or hide under desks.

“It’s very situational,” said Murray. “There are certain times where hiding under a desk may not be the best option, if you have the option to deny the intruder access to the office,” by moving a desk or filing cabinet in front of door.

They also consider “how our decision-making or coping mechanisms are affected by adrenaline or heartrate. We will discuss ways to address that … controlling your emotion, controlling your breathing, trying to maintain that focus,” Murray said.

After the lecture and public questions, attendees can also learn hands-on treatment, like “Hands Only CPR” and “Stop the Bleed” tourniquets.

Ocean View Police Department will host CRASE training on Thursday, May 17 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Selbyville Police Department will also host CRASE training in early May.

Local police agencies have provided similar training for churches and other groups.

“We are looking to develop an organized plan between the police department and these security teams,” said OVPD Chief Ken McLaughlin.

Free training

• Tuesday, April 17, 6 to 8 p.m.

Violent Intruder Preparedness and Response (VIPR) seminar, hosted by Delaware State Police and Delaware Department of Education at Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Road, Dagsboro.

• Friday, April 27, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), hosted by Frankford Volunteer Fire Company at banquet hall, 7 Main Street, Frankford.

• Thursday, May 17, 5 to 9 p.m.

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), hosted by Ocean View Police Department at police station, 201 Central Avenue, Ocean View.

• Early May (date TBD)

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), hosted by Selbyville Police Department.

The Town of Ocean View held a budget workshop earlier this week to review a fourth draft of its proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget, at which time the council came to the consensus it would keep the proposed 50-percent tax increase in the proposed budget.

“A lot has happened since our last budget workshop,” said Mayor Walter Curran. “First and foremost, this Town Council did listen to your comments. The Town staff also listened to your comments. We heard them, and we responded to them.”

Curran addressed three topics discussed — tax increases, dealing with the Town bureaucracy, and engineering costs and issues.

“On the topic of the budget, the operating budget was NOT a fat budget. It never has been, at least in the last three years. Notwithstanding that, we have reviewed the operating budget and have come up with budget cuts close to $80,000 for this year.”

Those dollars were cut with the reduction of routine drainage and street maintenance, as well as a reduction in police overtime, training, education and seasonal staffing.

Curran said in terms of engineering costs, the Town did look into hiring its own full-time engineer but found it would not be cost-effective. He added the Town had a meeting with Kercher Engineering, who provides engineering work for Town projects.

“We met with the engineering company today and gave them a week to deliver a detailed report on the status of every open job. Furthermore, within a month, we will start the review of outlying years’ projects, years three, four and five, for the purpose of determining their necessity, scale and cost. It is our belief that once a more thorough review is done, the scale of the projects will be lowered substantially.”

It was also previously projected that some projects were estimated to have engineering costs to be 40 percent of the overall budget, which Curran said has now been reduced to the 20 percent to 25 percent range.

“That wasn’t built in as a buffer,” said Finance Director Sandra Peck. “I sat in on a meeting and was told by the engineering firm in January ’40 percent’ on certain projects… They’re coming back, they’re doing some restructuring apparently and now giving us different information going forward. It wasn’t just pulled out of the air, and it was based on the input that I got to prepare the budget.”

The Town also intends to “streamline” the Building and Planning Reviews, Code Enforcement and Facilities management.

“Please keep in mind that we are not changing the rules. The Town Codes will stay in effect and for building permits/code issues we still have to deal with the County,” he said. “What we are doing is ensuring that enough people are cross-trained, and they are given the direction and authority to make decisions to allow the process to move along and not stagnate. To that end, the next few weeks will be difficult since some folks are out sick or on vacation this week, but things will improve and, in fact, have already improved in terms of delegating responsibility.”

Although it was not announced at the meeting, the Town’s Administrative Official Charles McMullen resigned on Monday, April 2.

“He voluntarily resigned,” said Curran following the meeting.

Curran said the Town has not made any official plans yet as to if they will seek candidates to fill the position.

“We are literally shuffling the deck. We’re looking at who can do what. Are they in the right spot? Can they be in a better spot? Where do we need to go? How do we need to divide the duties better? We’re literally doing a wholesale relook at how that whole process is and it’s on the Code review, enforcement, and facilities. We’re dividing it up, getting people to delegate more and I think it’s going to improve very rapidly.”

As for drainage projects, the Town continues to budget Woodland Avenue Extended drainage and road repairs, as well as Woodland Park drainage projects in the proposed fiscal year budget.

“We still face the immediate problem of the Woodland Avenue drainage and road-repair projects. Therefore, I am still recommending a 50-percent increase in Fiscal Year 2019 property tax. That will ensure that we get through FY-29 on a balanced budget and will have ample reserves available at the end of the year to carry us into FY-2020.”

Councilman Frank Twardzik agreed with the 50-percent increase, however he said he would like to have a hydrological engineer review the projects.

“For me this Town is chasing drainage like the whack-a-mole game.”

Councilwoman Carol Bodine said she agrees with the increase, and would also like the Town to look into grants they may be able to acquire from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

And although Curran previously stated he believed another tax increase was imminent in future budget years, he now believes it could be less.

“We will have a much better handle on what the outlying years’ project costs will be within six months. At that time, as we prepare for Fiscal Year 2020’s budget, the Town Council will have to decide on how much of a tax increase will be needed at that time to fund the outlying years’ capitol drainage related projects,” he said. “At the last budget workshop, I felt that it would be close to another 50-percent increase. Over the past week, I have come to believe that the outlying years’ projects will be considerably less cost and thus the impact on future taxes should be less than previously anticipated.”

With a 50-percent increase, based on the Town of Ocean View’s assessed property values and property tax rate for the 2018 fiscal year, homes assessed at $200,000, $300,000, $400,000 and $500,000 would see an annual increase of $165.40, $248.10, $330.80 and $413.50, respectively. The Town is, however, changing over to County assessed property values.

At the meeting, Peck gave an update on the draft budget, and clarified a number of things discussed at last week’s budget workshop.

While 52 percent of the Town’s transfer tax does come from resale, the Town does expect a decrease in revenue following the buildout of major developments in town. She noted the Town does not expect it to “keep pace with the record revenue” they are currently collecting, which rival banner years prior to the economic downturn in the early aughts. She added that transfer tax is not a stable revenue source, not only because it’s dependent on sales, but because those monies are looked at by the State as a way to possibly balance its budget.

“We don’t know if the local communities will continue to get that revenue,” said Peck. “That’s something we just don’t know and it gets questioned every year.”

Peck clarified that the Town has never drafted a budget to grant six percent salary increases for Fiscal Year 2019. Council did direct the budget be prepared with a three percent merit line item, and all employees be given a Consumer Price Index .822 percent based on their current salaries.

“Merit is a pool of funds that will be distributed only after performance evaluations are completed and given to employees reviewed by the town manager.”

Citizens voice opinions

Wedgefield resident Tom Campione asked why there was an increase in public safety in the proposed budget.

Curran said the department is hiring two new employees — one a sworn officer, who is being partially funded through a grant for their first three years of employment, and an administrative position.

“We have a wonderful public safety department… I’m not begrudging that,” said Campione. “It seems like a very steep increase.”

Curran added that the Town would be speaking to County and State officials to discuss the idea of a regional police force.

“The County has to step up and start doing the right thing,” he said.

Town Manager Dianne Vogel noted that there are other cost drivers to that figure.

“They’re all classified police officers, so workers’ comp is higher,” she said, adding that the pension, which is controlled by the State and not the Town, is expected to increase by 46 percent in the coming fiscal year.

Resident Kittie Rehrig thanked councilman Bill Olsen, whom she said took the time to sit down with her to go over parts of the budget.

“I still don’t think 50 percent is a reasonable amount. I think that’s asking a lot of the citizens of this town,” she said, adding it seemed like a figure that was “pulled out of the air.”

Ray Wockley, voiced his concern with employee pay raises, noting the “grunts” in the military (from which he is retired) have been granted a 5.7 percent pay increase over the last four years.

“They could increase that by getting promoted, combat pay — $120 a month, big deal — or if they could speak a foreign language.”

Wockley also recommended the Town simply do repairs for areas where they already have easements, and not mess with eminent domain, which will likely be opening “Pandora’s box.”

“There is so much water here, I’m not sure you can get rid of it,” he added.

He added that while the Town does follow the law in terms of notifying citizens of Town governmental happenings, but “not the spirit of the law.”

Resident Ted Scolari presented council with a hand-written piece of paper which he claimed showed property tax costs for a $300,000 to $400,000 home in Bethany Beach. However, the paper did not include the property’s address or the name of the property owner.

He went on to claim that the property taxes in Bethany Beach for the unidentified property have never doubled. The Town of Bethany Beach did increase its property taxes by 100 percent in Fiscal Year 2008. Currently, Bethany’s property tax rate is $0.175 per $100 of assessed value.

Steve Alexander said while he appreciates the progress the council has made in the last week, he would like to see more. He recommended the council follow the lead of homeowners’ associations, by having long term reserve studies conducted.

He also added he doesn’t believe the Town should continue to pay for 100-percent of employee health insurance.

“I’m not aware of other Towns that do provide that benefit.”

Judith Bundy asked if there was a way to save money in terms of who the Town hires to do the capital improvement projects.

“For any project like this we do the initial study, we get the estimates of cost from the engineering company and then they go out to bid,” said Curran. “They’re all competitively bid, and it’s always the low bidder. All of those projects are always bid out.”

“Given the current economy, it is more advantageous for private contractors to do work for private businesses than do municipal work because they don’t have the burdens of bonding you have when doing municipal projects,” added Town Solicitor Dennis Schrader. “An economy that is in a growth mode does not result in low bids for us… Often we bid alternates in our projects so we can remove portions of the project that we need to.”

Property owner Bob Thornton suggested that the Town and media, instead of dealing in percentages, speak more in terms of actual dollars.

“These numbers being thrown around — 50 percent, 100 percent —They have such a shocking value. Most people who moved into this jurisdiction are accustom to paying $8,000 to $12,000 a year in taxes. As soon as they hear ‘40 percent,’ ‘50 percent,’ ‘100 percent,’ thousands of dollars go right through their head.”

Thornton said he’s not trying to undermine those who are on a fixed income, but said that someone who has a house assessed at $300,000 in Town will see a $250 a year tax increase.

“Here to go from $500 to $750 is a lot of money percentage wise but in the large scheme of things, to be able to live in a town as nice as Ocean View I think we have to do something to attack the drainage issue.”

Bodine thanked all those in attendance for taking the time to attend the meeting.

“It really feels good to know you guys are taking an interest in understanding this budget.”

Residents encouraged to participate in process

“Are any of you Ocean View residents and will you pay this 50-percent or 100-percent tax increase?” asked resident Darlene Koiner. “Someone told me you were not living in Ocean View.”

“We are all residents and we all pay taxes,” said Curran.

“Most of us are on fixed incomes,” added Bodine.

Curran added that he hopes the residents in attendance that evening, whose numbers had dwindled from previous meetings, would continue to take an active part in the Town’s government.

“As a Town, things will stay better if you help us stay focused, there’s no question about it,” he said. “Yes, we’re the elected officials who are up here but the point of it is, we still require the citizens to come in, make the comments and make the remarks.

“We’re going to have a budget vote next week, but typically after that, everybody disappears for a year. I’m asking you, don’t disappear. Keep showing up, keep asking questions. That will guarantee you that everybody stays on their toes.”

Scolari followed Curran’s remarks by asking those who serve on council how many were elected by vote. Bodine was the only councilperson to raise their hand; she was elected in 2015.

“That’s a very important question,” said Curran. “Why didn’t someone come out and run against me? This is important — people have to understand. When I first came to this Town, I used to come to these meetings, too, and sit in the back and listen. There was a lot of yelling and screaming and name calling. That doesn’t happen anymore, and as long as I’m here it won’t happen.

“However, my question, I think is a valid question — I threw my hat in the ring, no one else stepped up. That’s not my fault. From my perspective, and I’ve said this as a joke, but unfortunately it’s real, twice I was elected in a landslide of indifference. That is on the citizens of this town.”

Council unanimously agreed to maintain the 50-percent property tax increase in the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The council will hold its monthly council meeting on Tuesday, April 10, at 7 p.m., at which time the council is expected to vote on the budget.

Delaware State Police are trying to interact with their communities more often, and not just when something goes wrong.

Troop 4 officers chatted with neighbors at a casual “Community Café” event on March 27 at the Frankford Family Diner. The public got to ask questions, and police talked about recent projects, concerns and successes.

One of DSP’s three Sussex County locations, Troop 4 is based in Georgetown, with a boot-shaped coverage area from Georgetown south to the Maryland line and the Indian River Inlet south to the Maryland line. Capt. Rodney Layfield commands the 90 troopers, including roughly 40 regular patrol officers and Sussex County’s 50 detectives.

Attacking crime

To really attack the problem areas, they said, Delaware State Police have spent the last few years targeting crime hotspots. For Troop 4, that was Oak Orchard. In addition to their regular patrols, Troop 4 would dedicate their extra officer to the most common crime hours.

At first, the DSP were responding to about 200 complaints per month. That number initially increased “because we were out there, stopping cars, looking for drugs, looking for DUIs and stuff,” Layfield said. “But overall complaints went down to 100 to 120 complaints a month. We cut our crime, our response to Oak Orchard, in a year, in half.”

Similarly, the DSP increased their presence years ago on Route 113 (Dupont Boulevard).

“If you’ve traveled in Sussex County, you know not to speed between Millsboro and Georgetown on the highway there around Melvin Joseph Cemetery. You see troopers there. It’s on purpose,” Layfield said.

Traffic collisions were occurring at an inordinate rate. The new traffic signal at Speedway Road has helped, police said, although traffic near the Avenue of Honor will likely need a traffic light as the Indian River School District pursues building more schools in that area. The fields and forests also result in high deer activity. With all of that, Delaware State Police are trying to slow cars down.

Although the public sometimes demands answers on how police are cleaning up crime, the DSP can’t always provide answers.

“We can’t release certain information when it’s hot and heavy. We were able to solve a lot of those crimes,” regarding robbery and thefts, Layfield said. Police get a lot of flak when they can’t announce their crime-fighting techniques, he acknowledged, but Layfield said they’re quietly listening and investigating before making their move. Any public acknowledgement of success can come after the arrests.

When asked about bail reform, Layfield said a police officer’s job is to immediately stop dangerous people who are doing dangerous actions. However, he said, he also understands that certain populations are sitting in jail, waiting for trial for longer periods of time than other people, because they can’t pay bail.

On a similar note, he said, drugs are incredible dangerous, but he added that he empathizes with the distraught families whose loved-ones are wrapped up in the heroin epidemic. Police officers are first-responders, so even after they shoot a “bad guy,” they immediately have to render first aid, Layfield said.

Asked about the international crime gang MS-13, Layfield said, “We don’t have an MS-13 problem down here. Do we have gangs? Yes.”

Some crimes have had gang connections, he said, but Layfield emphasized that he doesn’t feel gangs are driving crime locally.

In the schools

Many schools have a school resource officer (SRO), who is a uniformed police officer assigned to the buildings, either part-time or fulltime. The Indian River School District also has one constable per school, who are armed former law-enforcement officers that carry their old service weapon. They have the power to detain a suspect at schools until an arresting officer can arrive.

Layfield, who is also vice president of the IRSD school board, pointed out that at Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County in Maryland, the SRO there reacted exactly as intended when an armed student shot two classmates on March 20. The school resource officer immediately responded and fired back, striking the shooter’s hand. Although the student killed himself, the SRO was praised for his quick response.

For public, knowledge is power

People can learn more about local crime through the DSP crime mapping.

“If you’re super nosy, you’re not going to find out which wife was arguing with what husband. … You may find out there was an assault down the road, you may find a little fist [icon] in a bubble to find there was an assault,” Layfield said. “But burglary, theft — we try to advertise what’s going on in the community as much as possible. This gives you the opportunity to search, reflect and look at what’s going on.”

The online crime map is on the Delaware State Police’s website, at http://dsp.delaware.gov (click on the “Crime” tab).

Press releases are posted online at https://dspnewsroom.com.

This month, anyone is being invited to attend free local trainings on responding to intruders and active shooter situations. First-responders are teaching people how to defend themselves in such an emergency.

On Tuesday, April 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., the DSP will host a Violent Intruder Preparedness & Response (VIPR) seminar at Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Road, Dagsboro. On Friday, April 27, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Frankford Volunteer Fire Company will host Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). On Thursday, May 17, from 5 to 9 p.m., the Ocean View Police Department will also host CRASE.

The training is open to educators, churches, businesses and any other interested individuals.

Local police and medics have also created task forces to respond to potential incidents, such as an active shooter situation with multiple casualties, in which medics would enter the building with police, to treat the wounded, even if the perpetrator is still at large.

With consumer crime, information can be key to people helping keep themselves safe. Scams and digital theft seems to be the crime of the future. Officers at the meeting reviewed several common scams, starting with phone calls. Tax season is reaching a climax, which means scammers telephone victims to demand payment for “overdue taxes.”

“The IRS does not call you,” they only send letters through U.S. Postal Service, explained Sgt. Dannaile Rementer. Phone numbers can be spoofed, so it looks like the Internal Revenue Service is calling, but taxpayers shouldn’t allow themselves to be fooled.

Similarly, if a grandchild calls, asking for bail money, but begging the grandparent not to call anyone else, people should hang up and call their grandchild separately, as this common scam often involves people pretending to be a family member in order to have money sent to them.

Credit cards are always at risk in public places. Credit card skimmers have been found in Sussex County, overlaid onto gas pumps or ATMs, reading all the information that is entered to the machine.

That means people should be suspicious when approaching a gas pump or ATM. Skimming devices can be laid on to of legitimate equipment, so people should wiggle the card reader or examine the keypad for any loose or wobbling parts.

Some skimmers use short-range Bluetooth signals to send information, so the perpetrators can sit in parking lot and gather data that the skimmer has stolen, without having to leave their cars. People can test for this by turning on their phone’s Bluetooth signal and looking for any new network that appears. (Police acknowledge that isn’t a perfect system, since other customers at the pumps might also have Bluetooth.)

People who think their personal information or financial information was compromised should contact the bank immediately, then report it to the police.

Rementer recommended that people only use cash or a credit card — not a bank debit card — so any stolen money comes from the credit card company.

“I would much rather a credit card be out the money, than you completely deplete your personal account and have to wait for the bank to reimburse you.”

Internet crimes may be reported to the FBI through www.IC3.gov.

People can contact Delaware State Police Troop 4 at 23652 Shortly Road in Georgetown, or call (302) 856-5850. Immediate emergencies should be reported to 911.

Point Staff

The Indian River High School girls’ lacrosse team made the long trek up to St. Mark’s last Friday afternoon to take on the Spartans, a perennial Delaware state power.

The Indians fell behind early but gave a valiant effort to make a game of things before eventually falling 17-6 to the Spartans.

After their season-opening 22-6 win over Newark, the Indians have quite possibly drawn three of the best teams they will face all year right in a row — Caesar Rodney, St. Mark’s and Cape Henlopen. St. Mark’s and Cape squared off for the state title last season, which the Vikings had won to take their ninth-straight state championship.

On Friday, “we knew it was going to be a tough game,” IR coach Cat Roselli said of St. Mark’s. “But we played great defense, slowing down their fast breaks, and reading the players really well. I am very proud of the girls. One more away game against Cape, which is another tough team,” he added of Wednesday’s matchup (after Coastal Point press time), “but the girls are ready. They are optimistic to see how far they have come from compared to last year.”

IR was led last Friday by Kealey Allison and Helen Davis, both of whom scored two goals apiece. Kaylee Hall and Olivia Lease each chipped in a goal for the Indians as well.

A quartet of Spartans scored three goals each — Clare Estes, Paige Megargee, Megan Noonan, and Kendra Schweizer — to lead the way for the victors.

While Wednesday’s Cape game was set for after Coastal Point press time, live game updates will be available on the Coastal Point’s dedicated sports feeds on Facebook and Twitter.

Golf

Sussex Tech 175, Indian River 183: Patrick Gogarty carded a match-low 41 for co-medalist honors, but the Indians came up short in their Henlopen Conference tilt with Sussex Tech this week.

The Ravens’ Grant LaChance also carded a 41 to help lead the winners. William Burton posted a 43, while Julian Gatta shot a 45.

Mikaela Brosnahan finished second with a 46, while Joseph D’Orazio was right behind with a 47.

The golfers covered the back nine holes of the Heritage Shores Golf Club course in Bridgeville, which had a par score of 36.

The Indians will be back at Heritage Shores for another Henlopen Conference meeting next Tuesday, April 17, but this time they will square off with Woodbridge High School.

Boys’ tennis

Caesar Rodney 5, Indian River 0: The Riders cruised to a win over the Indians in boys’ tennis action Tuesday afternoon, dropping just five points total.

IR’s Luke McCabe dropped a 6-0, 6-1 decision to Rishi Gundakaram at first singles.

The Indians duo of Joshua Bird and Michael Peterson lost a hard-fought 6-0, 6-2 match at first doubles. The second doubles tandem of Brian Quezada and Noah Martin also fell, 6-2, 6-0, in their match.

IR had a match set with Cape Henlopen on Thursday, April 12, (after Coastal Point press time), before a non-conference meeting with Worcester Prep on Friday, April 13. Results for both of those contests will be available on our Coastal Point sports Facebook and Twitter pages.

Girls’ tennis

Caesar Rodney 5, Indian River 0: The Indians ran into a bit of a buzz saw on the tennis courts on Tuesday afternoon, April 10, in a loss to the Riders. IR managed just four points overall in the match against the perennially tough Caesar Rodney.

Alexa Fitz — the Indians’ first singles player — dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Natasha Sijan.

Madison Galbreath fell 6-0, 6-1 to Nora Frederick at second singles.

The first doubles pairing of Katelyn Timmons and Analy Marquez fell to CR’s Piper Casey and Michaela Thorogood, 6-1, 6-0.

The girls, like the boys’ team, were set to take on Cape on April 12, followed by Worcester Prep on April 13.

SMS baseball

Selbyville 11, Fifer 0: Selbyville baseball blanked Fifer on Monday afternoon, April 9, 11-0 behind the combined pitching performances of Frankie Bunting and Jamison Bender. Bunting started on the bump and picked up the win while allowing just one hit over three innings, striking out three and walking none.

The Indians — already leading 6-0 — tallied five runs in the fourth inning to put the game away. Finn Hanley, Jack Williamson, Clay Huffman and Reece Stone each had RBIs in the big inning.

Dalton Hall went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Indians in hits. He also had two steals on the day. Nathan Bunting also had a pair of RBIs in the contest for the Indians.

Defensively, SMS did not commit an error in the field.

The Indians were set to begin a string of road trips on Wednesday, at Dover (after Coastal Point press time), followed by Friday at Beacon and Monday at Sussex Academy.

SMS softball

Selbyville 18, Fifer 7: Samantha Derickson was 4-for-4 at the plate, with four runs batted in and four runs scored, to lead Selbyville to an 18-7 rout of visiting Fifer on Monday afternoon, April 9.

Laniya Lewis was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and four runs scored, while Destiny Mitchell chipped in with a 2-for-4 offensive showing, including an RBI, three stolen bases and three runs scored. Kelsie Morin and Camryn Ehlers each contributed a RBI for the winners.

In the circle, Derickson pitched six innings while striking out 12 Riders, to go with just one walk. Only three of the Fifer runs were earned.

For more information on Indian River High School sports, be sure to follow Coastal Point sports on Facebook and Twitter.

Special to the Coastal Point • Bruce Walls Two Indians run a relay race during a unified tri-meet versus Caesar Rodney and Polytech. CR beat IR 52-5.On Tuesday, April 10, the Indian River High School varsity track-and-field teams invited Caesar Rodney and Polytech to a unified tri-meet. Scoring was only kept for the meeting with Caesar Rodney, with the Indians suffering a second Henlopen Conference loss on the young season. The Riders defeated IR 52-5.

“We worked hard, and the kids did their personal best,” said veteran coach Bob Hahn. “We had a little difficulty coming off spring break.”

IR senior Mike Corcoran had an overall best 107.3, finishing second twice.

Now 0-2, the Indians were set to travel to Laurel High School on Thursday, April 12, (after Coastal Point press time), when they will also face the Woodbridge Bulldogs. On Tuesday, April 18, the Indians will host the Smyrna Eagles. The Polytech Challenge Twilight Invitational meet, featuring 11 teams, will take place next Thursday, April 26, in Felton.

Pass the baton: Caesar Rodney’s combined boys’ and girls’ rosters feature 167 members, by which the Indians’ total of 53 pales in comparison. The Riders’ boys’ team alone has 100 participants.

Coastal Point photos • Jason Feather: Indian River senior Mya Parks with family and coaches.It was a milestone occasion for two Indian River High School field hockey players Wednesday morning, as Kaleigh Cordrey and Mya Parks on April 11 signed their national letters-of-intent to play at the next level.

Both seniors were flanked by their parents, as well as high school coach Jodi Stone and travel program coach Ike Eisenhower, for the ceremony that took place in the library at Indian River High School.

Cordrey, a midfielder/defenseman, has chosen to continue her career at Coker College in Hartsville, S.C. She will be joining a whole new program at Coker, which includes first-year head coach Katrina Heterbring.

“It’s a new program, and I kind of wanted to be part of something new,” admitted Cordrey when asked why she selected Coker. “I thought that was interesting at first. When I first visited in February, it was 70 degrees, and I thought that it was an amazing beautiful place in South Carolina. Mostly though, it is because I wanted to be a part of a new team, a new program.”

Cordrey, the daughter of Becky and Keith Cordrey, has been a three-year starter for the Indians. According to Stone, Kaleigh is “a quick, agile and aggressively low player that has great stick-handling ability, and would always seem to catch the opposition off-guard.”

For the season, Cordrey scored three goals to go with two assists. She was named to the First-Team Henlopen South All-Conference team in 2017 as a midfielder, following a 2016 campaign where she received First-Team honors at defense. The co-captain was named the 2017 Most Valuable Player for her Indians squad as well.

Parks was a two-year varsity starter in the goal cage for the Indians.

“McDaniel was my first camp I ever went to, to play field hockey,” confessed Parks, the daughter of Denise and Burt Parks. “So ever since then I knew I wanted to play at McDaniel. I played field hockey ninth through 12th, and then finally in 12th grade I got serious about wanting to play in college.

“I emailed the McDaniel coach,” Parks said of Kellina Yarrish, “and asked her if she was looking for another goalie. She said she was, so I went on a recruiting tournament in Florida. I met up with her there, and she emailed me to schedule a visit. After the visit, she offered me a roster spot. It was between two colleges, but I always knew I wanted to go to McDaniel, so it was an easy decision.”

Parks, a co-captain this past season for the Indians, is “unstoppable when the pressure is on” according to Stone. “She prefers turf over other surfaces, and the turf really seems to bring the beast out of her. At times she looked like Spider Woman when she was protecting our goal.”

Coastal Point photos • Jason Feather: Indian River senior Kaleigh Cordrey, her family and coaches.
The goalie appeared in appeared in all 15 games for the Indians in 2017. She faced 138 shots and made 96 saves. She was named a Henlopen Conference South Division Honorable Mention for those efforts. She was also selected to represent IR in the annual Blue-Gold field hockey game at Milford High School back on Nov. 19, 2017.

“I began this program six years ago as an assistant, and took over the program as head coach the following year. This is the first time in five years we’ve had two players attend college for field hockey,” Stone said happily.

“This is an exciting time for our program. We’ve been building this program for the past six years, and have now made the state tournament two years in a row. This is just a very nice accomplishment for the hard work and endeavors that these girls have pursued, and I am very excited for them for their next adventure.”

Both Cordrey and Parks are members of the Delaware Shore travel field hockey program, based in Lewes. Eisenhower, coach for the Shore, was in attendance for the ceremony.

Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: Kayler Townsend and Savannah O’Shields high-five after a play in IR’s doubleheader vs. Wilmington Charter School and Smyrna. IR split the day, with a loss to Charter and a win over Smyrna.The Indian River High School softball team had been rolling right along this season, jumping out to a 5-0 mark heading into spring break last week.

A split doubleheader on the road against two top-level opponents was standing in the way of extending that unbeaten mark even further. However, a late two-run, seventh-inning rally by Wilmington Charter School last Friday, April 6, brought an end to the unblemished record in a 2-1 setback.

The Indians were only able to muster three hits in the contest against Charter and took advantage of two errors to plate their lone run of the game in the third inning. Kayler Townsend got credit for the RBI, while Julia Bomhardt had two of the hits.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Indians were trailing 1-0 after the first inning, but managed to tie things up in the top of the seventh to force extra innings. Jess Rybicki slapped home the IR run to tie things, and then it was freshman Savannah O’Shields lining a RBI-base hit to score the eventual game-winning run.

“Both of those games were really hard-fought,” IR coach Erika Murphy said. “Both of those teams were undefeated. We played strong defense, and our pitching really led us to the win in the second game.”

Abby O’Shields threw all 10 innings for IR in the win over Smyrna. She threw 27 first-pitch strikes and recorded nine strikeouts, to pick up the win.

Kaylah Briddell had two hits in three at-bats for the Indians in the win over the Eagles.

On Tuesday, April 10, the Indians steamrolled Seaford en route to a 17-0 shutout win to improve to 7-1 on the campaign.

Abby O’Shields hurled three innings of no-hit ball before turning the circle over to Izzy Alley, who allowed the lone hit in the game for Seaford.

Several Indians collected multiple hits in the game, with Julia Bomhardt and Taylor Lipkins each picking up four hits on the day. Kayler Townsend chipped in with two hits of her own, as well as two RBIs. Braydee Whitman and Savannah O’Shields each knocked in three runs for IR.

The Indians were set to travel up to Caravel Academy on Thursday, April 12, (after Coastal Point press time). They will also be in action in a Saturday-afternoon tilt against Red Lion at 1 p.m.

For all the scores and highlights of the games, be sure to check out Coastal Point’s sports Facebook and Twitter pages.

Coastal Point photos • Tyler Valliant: Mitch Megee sends a pitch to homeplate.Indian River High School used three pitchers to combine on a 5-0 shutout win against visiting Seaford on Tuesday afternoon, April 10. After two straight losses, the Indians were able to right the ship a bit to get back on the right side of the ledger.

“I thought it was a good performance to get back in the win column after a rough couple of games over spring break,” said Indians coach D.J. Long of Tuesday’s win. “We have been struggling at the plate as of late, so hopefully we can get that turned around before we head up to Caravel Saturday night for a big game against a great team.”

Junior Mitch Megee pitched five innings, allowing only two hits and no runs in picking up the win for IR on the bump.

Grant Argo roped a double and drove in two runs, while Jacob Anderson stole two bases.

The win over Seaford keeps the Indians perfect in Henlopen South Division contests.

“We just have to keep winning conference games,” acknowledged Long. “We are 4-1 in the conference and 2-0 in the South. We have to keep working hard every day to get where we want to be.”

In a split doubleheader last Friday, April 6, the Indians hit the road for a pair at St. Mark’s, followed by a late-afternoon contest against Henlopen Conference foe Smyrna.

In the early tilt versus the Spartans, IR jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, thanks to a RBI-single by Grant Argo.

St. Mark’s answered with a four-spot in the top of the first off Indians starter Myles Clark. It would be all the Spartans needed to get past IR.

In the game versus Smyrna, the hosts scored early and often, plating a single run in the first, five more in the second, and finishing up their run barrage with three more in the third — all on the strength of just six hits and three IR errors. It proved to be more than enough, despite a late effort from the Indians.

Tyler Cramer and Chase Hall each went 1-for-2 for the Indians, with Hall’s RBI-double the biggest of the day for the locals.

IR now hits the road for their next four games, kicking off with an evening matchup under the lights at Caravel Academy on Saturday, April 14. A Henlopen Conference clash follows versus Lake Forest on Monday, April 16.

For details and information on the games, be sure to follow the Coastal Point sports page on Facebook and Twitter.

Coastal Point • File Photo: The Tigers get their group photo taken during last year’s event.“Play ball!”

That’s what players, coaches, parents, and just about anyone associated with the Lower Sussex Little League program, will be hearing Saturday morning, as yet another season of baseball and softball commences at the Pyle Center complex in Roxana.

Opening Day ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. as more than 600 kids eagerly anticipate the start of their first games of the season. The LSLL will feature 49 teams this year.

“LSLL is proud to be a great place for young people and families to have a great experience together,” LSLL President T.J. Bunting said. “Softball and baseball are only part of the benefit the entire community receives from all the activity at the Pyle Center complex. Providing young people a positive place to be coached and to compete in a team setting is invaluable.”

New this year for Opening Day is Anchors Aweigh Entertainment, which will be featuring their new video-game trailer. There will also be barbecue chicken platters for sale. As always, concession stand food will be available all day.

The day will also feature raffles and other fundraising opportunities. Local churches and the Lower Sussex Indians Pop Warner team will be on-site, conducting registrations for this fall.

The 2018 Senior League Softball World Series will once again be hosted by LSLL this year. The tournament will take place from July 30 to Aug. 5. It promises to be another world-class week of softball as teams from all over the globe descend on the complex, vying for a World Series championship.

The LSLL program features manager, coaches, team moms and dads, umpires, concession-stand staffing, and its Board of Directors are all providing their time on a volunteer basis.

With weather forecast to be beautiful on Saturday, there is plenty of fun, food and baseball or softball on tap for the area this weekend.

Extra Bases: Information on the Lower Sussex Little League can be found on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lowersussexlittleleague.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Residents who own private wells can purchase $2 water test kits from the state, as U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (left) learned from Kim Hicks, a unit manager of Community Health Services.Around the new year, many people in the area started looking very carefully at what is in their private well water.

“One out of every six families in Delaware get their drinking water from private wells. … The Division of Public Health will actually test water — two tests for $2 apiece,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper while visiting the Division of Public Health site in Georgetown this week.

Indeed, people with private wells can purchase for $2 each a bacteriological test and a chemical test for private wells.

In Sussex County, people have been flocking to get the test kits. In January and February, DPH distributed around 1,100 total individual sample bottles, plus another 386 in late March.

That’s a huge jump from 2017, when the monthly average was 171 bottles. New Castle and Kent Counties only sold several hundred apiece for the whole year.

The upswing was partly triggered by an “upset” at the Mountaire Farms Millsboro wastewater treatment system that was announced in November. On a number of Millsboro fields, the Mountaire wastewater spray-irrigation system sprayed water with elevated levels of nitrogen, fecal coliform concentrations, biochemical oxygen demand (BODs) and total suspended solids (TSS).

People often test private wells once or twice a year. Private well owners should also test if there is a change in color, taste, odor or clarity; if a baby or pregnant woman is consuming the water; if neighbors find a dangerous contaminant in their water; or after any repairs to the well or plumbing system.

Wells can also benefit from annual inspections to find any mechanical problems.

People can purchase the kits with cash or check. There are specific instructions for taking the water sample. Results are mailed to the home, with the results and information on what the results mean. People can also call to ask more questions. Kits are available during business hours, for private well owners only. The kits may be purchased at any of these locations:

• Adams State Service Center, Georgetown

• Thomas Collins Building, Suite 5, Dover

• Delaware Public Health Laboratory, Smyrna

• University Office Plaza, Chopin Building, Suite 105, Newark.

Because the Community Environmental Health Services has more public offices, they help distribute wells tests for their sister office, the Office of Drinking Water. Both are overseen by Health System Protections.

The tests do not test for PFCs, which were recently found in the public drinking-water supply in Blades. These tests include chloride, alkalinity, fluoride, hardness, iron, nitrate, nitrite, pH, sodium, sulfate and more.

“Nitrates in this area are found naturally, as well as because of the agricultural history we have here. They’re fairly common [to have] high nitrates. That’s why we think it’s very important for people to have their wells tested, because of the potential effects of high nitrates,” said Jamie Mack, action section chief of Health Systems Protections.

People can also invest in much more thorough tests that identify other substances. Those can be purchased through a retailer or online.

“We do see a need for private well owners to have access to the tools they need in order to make sure that their water is safe,” Mason said.

With the health concerns over water, it’s important that the State subsidizes these inexpensive tests, officials said.

“This is really important. This is a nice — a real way to help,” Carper said.

The Office of Drinking Water can also provide information on how to treat any problems.

To learn more, contact the Delaware Health & Social Services, Division of Public Health, Thurman Adams State Service Center, 546 South Bedford Street, Georgetown, or call (302) 515-3300.

Allen and Jeff Chorman“It is a generational thing — my dad sprayed for their dads, and now I am spraying for them,” explained Jeff Chorman. “It’s their livelihood out there in the fields, and we take care of it. I get satisfaction from that.”

His father, Allen Chorman, added, “I grew up around airplanes, and I knew what I wanted to do when I was 4 or 5.”

That was in 2012, and they have been going strong ever since.

Even back in 1997, they were considered “tops in their field,” both skilled ag pilots whose routine aerial applications resembled death-defying stunts to the rest of us on the ground.

Each could maneuver the huge Ayers S2R Thrush, with its 600 horsepower radial engine, inches above rows of cornstalks, turn, then fly under field-side telephone wires, skimming rooftops, dodging “sleeper wires” (almost invisible power lines) and/or dive-bombing rows of soybean plants — “tickling the pod” as it was once called.

Both Allen and Jeff have serviced dozens of Delmarva farmers over the years, applying herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Fellow ag pilot and “best flight instructor in the East” Jimmy Vreeland taught both Allen and Jeff how to fly — decades apart, of course.

Jeff was flying his dad’s Thrush while still in high school, and he earned his commercial license at 18.

How does as anyone, let alone a father-son team learn such a dare-devil style of flying? Here’s how.

He had to fly for a living

It all began with Allen, born in 1946 as the oldest of five children. He grew up near Red Mill Pond and began work on his uncle’s farm. By age 10, he was clearing woods for Joe Hudson, at what is now Eagle Crest Airport in Milton. Allen took his first airplane ride at 12, was “hooked,” and he knew then he had to fly for a living. At this young age, Allen figured out he wanted to fly and be associated with agriculture.

At an honors banquet in 2010, Dale Ockels described Allen as “truly a self-made man with an extreme amount of common sense which you can only get by growing up the hard way.”

Hard work, indeed. Let’s see how he did it.

A natural pilot

Allen took a job at the old Rehoboth Airport, where his father repaired aircraft. He also washed World War II surplus military planes (used for crop-dusting) that were owned by Joe Hudson. During his high school years, Allen learned to fly under Jimmy Vreeland.

Jimmy was so impressed with Allen’s motivation and ability in flight that he called Allen a “natural pilot.” In the aviation community that designation is only given, not self-assigned. It is first earned, then expressed by someone who really knows. Jimmy knew and he was the best flight instructor around, which is why Allen traveled so far, to the flight school in Laurel, while he was still in high school in Lewes.

Sunrises and sunsets

At 17, Allen earned his private pilot certificate; then, two years later, he was flying Joe Hudson’s 450 Stearman, spraying chemicals and spreading seed. Just out of high school in 1965, Allen was spraying fulltime from Rehoboth Airport.

During the 1970s, he handled most of Joe’s aerial application duties, flying all over Sussex County in the Thrush as well. From May through November, he worked 14-hour days, seven days a week, and also flew Joe Hudson’s Twin Beech, spraying for mosquitoes. He would leave in the dark and come back in the dark. Long days for a young man, but he recalls unbelievable sunrises and sunsets to this day, and would not trade a thing.

Chief pilot

In 1972, Allen became Joe’s chief pilot and remained so for 21 years. Again, in the aviation community that is an earned position, not assumed or taken for granted. It is consistently attained, through persistent hard work and sometimes knowledge-based dare-devilish risks. Allen had a few.

What follows is one of many accounts that better explains the designation “chief pilot,” a term describing earned respect and skill, over time... lots of flight time. And that flight time included “full throttle” flying.

One day in 1976, Allen took off from Rehoboth in Joe Hudson’s Twin Beech he fondly called “01,” which had the tail number N6401C — hence “01” for short. That is how private and ag aviators refer to their aircraft — what we might call a nickname… a shortened tail number or type, as in Twin Beech, Ag Cat. The nickname “01” became “prophetic” since that day he was forced to land on only one wheel.

Allen was headed to the Bethany Beach area in “01,” loaded down with chemicals for Delaware Mosquito Control. However, upon take-off from Rehoboth Airport, Allen recognized a problem with the landing gear, as indicated on the lighted control panel. Then he felt and heard a loud “Bang!” which shook the aircraft!

He soon learned that the right wheel had retracted only partially up, and the left wheel was simply hanging in the breeze! That meant both were rather useless for a standard incident-free landing.

To increase the possibility of a safe landing, he decided to drop the heavy load as planned, so he sprayed Bethany and aimed for home. Colleague Buddy Lewis flew under him as they both headed for a safe landing and/or rescue at Sussex County Airport.

Allen landed safely on one wheel and kept the wings up, “as easy as it can be,” certainly all due to pilot skill. Joe Hudson subsequently donated the plane to Midway Speedway Park, where it now floats over a go-kart track. You see it is without landing gear!

Allen Chorman Inc. to Allen Chorman & Son

In 1987, Allen bought Joe Hudson’s aerial spraying business and ran it out of Milton and Milford. The company grew; then with help and advice from son Jeff, together they eventually purchased other ag aviation businesses from local ag pilots, such as Paul Nuwer, David Hrupsa, Doug Gary and the Collins brothers, Rob and Skip.

When his son Jeff joined the business, the name changed, and so did some of the operations. Along with applying pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, their pilots also applied seed and fertilizer to farm fields. Their company grew and changed again.

By 2006, Jeff had purchased a company in Dover, and he added waterfowl counts and reef surveys to their operations. From October through January, Jeff counts waterfowl and eagles over Delaware and Maryland, and reports swan nest locations, as the birds have become an invasive species and harmful to some marsh grasses. Jeff also flies over the Atlantic and counts fishing boats clustered over artificial reef sites.

Luxury condos for fish — Davy Jones’ locker

From April to November each year, Jeff flies over water… miles and miles of water! He checks 14 artificial reef sites in the Delaware Bay and 26 miles off the Atlantic coast. Annually, he conducts 70 flights, counting fishing vessels and reporting the number of fish being caught.

Most of us know that the Mid-Atlantic shore bottom is usually flat, sandy or muddy. Right? So, what attracts the fish? It is the non-toxic reef materials that have been submerged! They provide luxury accommodations for reef fish, such as sea bass and trigger fish, and game fish, such as bluefish or striped bass.

These structure-oriented fish thrive in this habitat. And the Division of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC) is happy to provide it.

Since 2001, DNREC has submerged thousands of retired New York City subway cars, ballasted concrete and tire products, decommissioned military vehicles, commercial tugboats, the ex-destroyer U.S.S. Arthur W. Radford and the Shearwater, a 180-foot Army-Navy ship.

They all lie quietly in Davy Jones’ locker on the Atlantic Ocean floor, just 20 miles east of Fenwick Island, and continue to attract fish and fishing boats to be counted.

A few years later, Jeff added more aircraft and more work for the company.

Helicopter frost control

In 2010, Jeff introduced a Bell helicopter to the business for mosquito work, and then, in 2016, he added another Bell 47. Jeff uses these to spot-spray mosquitos as needed on marshlands, where broad, straight-flying/aerial application would not be effective or appropriate.

This same kind of vertical controlled flight was needed spring of 2016, when the Delaware weather threatened peach orchards. During a rare air inversion, with only hours to spare, Bobby Fifer called on Jeff to for his helicopter flying skill. Jeff hovered his Bell over the Wyoming peach trees, and his propellers pushed down the warm air, lessening the extent of frost damage. Some orchards in Lower Delaware were not so lucky.

Beyond crop spraying

As of 2016, Jeff uses the two Bells for mosquito and phragmites work. He has contracts with the states of Maryland and Delaware to eliminate and/or control phragmites, which are very invasive reeds on the marshes. This common reed is a large perennial grass, with tall stems and large showy plumes at the top, and it thrives in the wetlands of Delmarva.

The spray apparatus of the Bell helicopter allows “spot spraying,” and that means it can easily move over, down, up and away from small areas. For this application, the Bell works better than the large spray booms of the Thrush, which is designed to cover acres of row crops in farm fields. In late August 2017, Allen said Jeff was out in his Bell spot-spraying phragmites.

All in all, the Chormans have been very lucky and safe in flight, and they have been most blessed to have wonderful farmer friends and loving supportive families. As of 2016, Jeff Chorman was the owner, still flies full time for the company and is chief pilot in Greenwood, following in his dad’s footsteps.

Father and son admit they “have no hobbies,” and they both have said all they “ever wanted to do was fly a spray plane.” They both know and have said that “any success they had was due to two things — loving families and a team of workers.”

Allen and Jeff continue to work with each other’s strengths, and they illustrate an excellent example of a successful working father-and-son relationship, as well as an effective agricultural aviation service.

They also represent two generations of “full throttle” aerial applicators here on the Cape.