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South Coastal Library, Friends cooking up 'Food & Art'

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For the first time in 15 years, the South Coastal Library and its Friends group are giving patrons the chance to enter into their kitchens — or at least share in their recipes — with a newly published cookbook.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark: The South Coastal Library and its Friends group will share their recipes with their newly published cookbook, ‘Food & Art.’ Pictured here are some of the contributors at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach.Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark
The South Coastal Library and its Friends group will share their recipes with their newly published cookbook, ‘Food & Art.’ Pictured here are some of the contributors at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Priscilla Scott, circulation supervisor and volunteer coordinator for the library. “It’s just been a delightful thing to work on.”

“Food & Art” is a 256-page cookbook, containing more than 450 recipes contributed by artists, volunteers and library staff, covering every stage of a meal, from the appetizers to dessert.

“I think it was interesting reading the different takes on the same recipe. They were the same ingredients — but to see how someone would put it together differently from someone else,” said volunteer Maureen Killmer.

“Priscilla invited us to share some of our favorite recipes,” said volunteer Mary Van Scoyoc. “So we typed, we edited, we talked, we laughed and we put it all together. It was fun.”

Marcia Bonifas, who also volunteers at the library, said she tested out recipes on her neighbors before submitting them.

“Not all of them made it,” she said with a laugh.

The cookbook includes such dishes as Ina’s Praline French Toast Casserole, Party Paella Salad, Cold Avocado Soup, Grilled Flank Steak with Mango Salsa, Pasta with Basil and Brie, Summer Fruit Trifle and Chocolate Rocky Road Picnic Cake.

And not only does the cookbook have tried-and-true recipes, it also includes artwork contributed by local artists Jan Crooker, Aubre Duncan, Tara Funk Grim, Laura Hickman, Richard Matthews, Jeanne Mueller, Damon Pla, Dale Sheldon and Cheryl Wisbrock.

“I like the idea of doing the art. because it shows the local community in another venue,” Scott said. “I think it’s a keepsake, in that inside the cookbook are not only recipes by people in the community but there are different pieces of art by local artists.”

Scott said that some of the artwork was created specifically for the cookbook and she is excited for people to see the colorful contributions.

“We had a resounding, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!’ The artists were delighted and appreciative they were asked to participate, because there are a lot of fine artists in this community,” she said of the contributors. “I went with the artists whose art I was familiar with. I was looking for something that was representative of southern coastal Delaware. I was looking for color and I was looking, in some cases, for whimsical. I just wanted to have a variety of pieces of art.”

Scott said she cannot wait to try out some of the recipes, which at times during the process made her mouth water.

“There are some wonderful recipes in there, and when I would start to read one, I’d say to whoever was near to me, ‘Oh, listen to this one,’” she said with a laugh.

The Friends of the South Coastal Library had previously published a cookbook in 1998 to raise funds for the library. “Food & Art,” like its predecessor, will cost $15 and will help the Friends monetarily support library programs.

Scott said the cookbook would make an excellent gift or keepsake, and she hopes the community will embrace it.

“It was a wonderful project to be involved with, with wonderful people,” she said.

“Food and Art” will be on sale from July 18 through July 25 at the library, on July 18, 22, 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on July 19 from 1 to 5 p.m., on July 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on July 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Van Scoyoc said she hopes the community enjoys the cookbook as much as they did putting it together.

“It was a local experience, friends and neighbors, artists and recipes coming together to make a gift to the community.”

The South Coastal Library is located at 43 Kent Avenue in Bethany Beach. For more information, call (302) 539-5231 or visit www.southcoastal.lib.de.us.


Marie's Kitchen: Taking lunch in The Boardroom

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For quite some time, I’ve watched renovations in preparation for the opening of The Boardroom Restaurant — a new lunch and dinner venue in Bethany Beach west of Route 1 in the shopping center between Wawa and Valero. When I received a call from my dear friend, Loretta Conti Montone (who was highlighted in this column in November 2012), telling me that her daughter, Blair, is manager of The Boardroom, I called Blair to let her know that we were headed there for lunch.

Special to the Coastal Point • Marie Cook: Special to the Coastal Point • Marie Cook Marie Cook poses with Loretta Conti Montone in The Boardroom in Bethany Beach. Chef Tedy prepared different dishes for them and supplied recipes as well.Special to the Coastal Point • Marie Cook
Special to the Coastal Point • Marie Cook Marie Cook poses with Loretta Conti Montone in The Boardroom in Bethany Beach. Chef Tedy prepared different dishes for them and supplied recipes as well.

Little did I know what Chef Tedy had planned for us! He prepared a half-dozen of his signature menu items, and Loretta and I accepted them all with open arms (open mouths doesn’t sound as nice, but it’s certainly more accurate). You know how kids love show-and-tell-time? Well, I’m here with my own version, called taste-and-tell.

Chef Tedy is a local guy, born in Lewes. Although he’s been in the restaurant business since he was 16 years old, he didn’t take an interest in cooking until he was 24. He decided to become a chef because of the love his mother put into every meal.

“Pay attention to who cooks for you when you are young — someone who loves you, someone who cares about you,” he said. “Cooking is love, and I love to cook!”

Anthony Antonini, from Wayne, Pa., the owner of The Boardroom, decided to open his restaurant in Bethany Beach because he saw an opportunity to put a restaurant with reasonably priced food in a beautiful area to serve locals, as well as summer visitors and home owners.

“He knew they would appreciate a place where they could eat on- or off-season more than just once per week,” Tedy said. “he also wanted to open an american bistro-Style Restaurant/Bar with a hometown feel.”

Why is the restaurant named The Boardroom? That’s still a mystery — stay tuned!

Chef Tedy’s signature dish is what he refers to as “my simple hamburger.” Well, folks, there was nothing “simple” about the delicious Boardroom Burger that Tedy served to us. When you pull into the restaurant’s parking lot, you can smell the wood fire burning. He grills his burgers over a mixture of woods — cherry, oak and maple. Our burger was served on a delicious brioche bun and topped with gruyere cheese and a crisp baked onion ring.

Tedy said, “It seems like an odd choice for a signature dish for a classically trained French chef, but sometimes some of the best things are the simple things.”

Of course, he’s super-fussy about the quality of the blend of meats he uses for the burgers, as well as how the burgers are formed. Chicken and steaks are also cooked on the wood grill.

Tedy and his family enjoy cooking together at home.

“We usually cook together as a family,” he said. “We talk, laugh, and usually nibble as we go.” He particularly enjoys cooking seafood — scallops with a split pea risotto, or pan-seared softshell crabs with white cheddar grits.

The first dish to arrive at our table was Chef Tedy’s Chorizo Mussels: 20 tasty little mussels nestled in a Spanish chorizo broth. I’m a mussel lover and have enjoyed them in many different types of sauces — from Italian red sauce, to marinara sauce, to red and/or white wine garlic broth. But the chorizo broth was a new one on me. Even if you don’t like mussels, you could just sit there with a whole loaf of garlic crostini (little toasts), dipping your life away and increasing the size of your waistline.

I will fill you in as I go on the other dishes we were served, because — much to my surprise — Chef Tedy has generously provided recipes for everything he served us in non-chef lingo. I know I’ve said many times how much I love my job, but today’s column wouldn’t be complete without repeating it one more time! I love my job! Every dish was delicious with classy presentation. I look forward to many lunches and dinners at The Boardroom.

The Boardroom Restaurant, open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, is located at 786 Garfield Parkway. The phone number is (302) 616-1662. The hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, with brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, featuring Brioche French Toast and Crab Benedict; Saturday and Sunday, closing is also at midnight. A children’s menu is available.

Don’t be turned off by the word “catfish” in the Catfish Rachel sandwich at The Boardroom. Some restaurants use other names for catfish to fancy it up, but once you taste Catfish Rachel, you won’t be intimidated.

Since Loretta was scooping up the Ahi Poké Tuna (recipe follows), I made quick work of Catfish Rachel. This pan-seared fish is tossed in Cajun spices, topped with Red Cabbage Slaw and served on toasted ciabatta spread with rémoulade sauce. (Recipes for the slaw and rémoulade follow.)

In many of Chef Tedy’s recipes, you will see grapeseed oil listed in the ingredients. I don’t remember when or how I learned about grapeseed oil, but I now use it all the time, along with coconut and olive oils. It’s made by cold-pressing grape seeds and contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates (the good kind) and is very high in antioxidants. To find it in your local grocery store, look to the top shelf, where the higher priced oils are located. It’s well worth the price.

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Catfish Rachel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 4 (8-ounce) catfish filets

? Grapeseed oil

? Kosher salt

? 1/2 cup blackening spice

? Red Cabbage Coleslaw (recipe follows)

? 4 sandwich-size ciabatta loaves

? Rémoulade Sauce (recipe follows)

Method for Catfish Rachel:

Put an ovenproof sauté pan on medium-high heat; add grapeseed oil. While the oil is heating up, prepare the catfish. Salt the bottom side with kosher salt, flip the fish and sprinkle with the blackening seasoning (top side only!).

When lines begin to form in the oil, it is hot enough; add the fish, blackened side down. Make sure the fish is not searing too quickly. You can tell that it’s too hot when you hear loud sounds coming out of the pan.

After 3 minutes, flip the fish. After 1 minute, place the pan of fish in the preheated oven. After 2-1/2 minutes, remove the fish from the oven and let rest; this brief time in the oven allows the fish to remain moist.

Cut the loaves in half and oil the insides with grapeseed oil; sprinkle with a little kosher salt (insides only). Place the ciabatta in the oven, oil-side down, directly on the grates. Place a sheet pan underneath the rack to catch any dripping oil. This provides the crispiness needed for the texture of the sandwich. Toast the ciabatta for 1-1/2 minutes on each side.

Spread with 1 tablespoon of Rémoulade Sauce on each of the bottom sides of the bread. Place a piece of catfish on each of the bread bottoms. Top each piece of fish with 3 tablespoons Red Cabbage Slaw. Top with the bun and slice sandwich in half. Yield: 4 servings.

Chef Tedy suggests preparing his Rémoulade Sauce at least three hours before serving to give the ingredients a chance to meld.

Rémoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

? 2-1/2 cups Hellman’s Mayonnaise

? 1/2 cup Creole mustard

? 2 tablespoons sweet paprika

? 1-1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

? 4 teaspoons prepared horseradish

? 2 teaspoons pickle juice (dill or sweet – your preference)

? 1 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Tabasco)

? 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Method for Rémoulade Sauce:

In a medium-size bowl, mix together all ingredients. The rémoulade is better if refrigerated for 3 hours prior to using.

Red Cabbage Slaw (on which I could make a meal) should also be made in advance. Chef Tedy suggests preparing it six hours prior to serving.

Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

? 1/4 cup rice vinegar

? 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

? 2 tablespoons canola oil

? 1/4 head red cabbage, finely shredded

? 1 large carrot, cut into fine julienne

? 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

? Salt and pepper to taste

Method for Red Cabbage Slaw:

Mix all ingredients and allow to meld for 6 hours before serving.

I’m not an ahi tuna fan, but Loretta made short work of our dish. I take all of her “ooohs and aaahs” as proof that other ahi lovers will not be disappointed.

Ahi Poké (pronounced ‘pokey’)

Ingredients:

? 4 (4-ounce) ahi tuna filets (sushi-grade)

? 1 teaspoon sesame oil

? 1 teaspoon micro-planed fresh ginger

? 1/4 cup minced green onion

? 1 cup teriyaki sauce

? Black sea salt (for the plate)

Method for Ahi Poké:

Cut ahi into 1/2-inch cubes. Mix sesame oil, ginger, green onion and teriyaki sauce. Place ahi in the marinade for 2 minutes. Plate the tuna and sprinkle with black sea salt. Yield: 4 servings.

I wrote above that Chef Tedy’s signature dish is the Boardroom Burger. Loretta’s husband, a true burger connoisseur, gives this wood-grilled burger an A+.

Boardroom Burger

Ingredients:

? 2 pounds certified Black Angus beef

? Kosher salt to taste

? 4 of your favorite onion rings or stout beer rings, if you can find them

? 8 slices good-quality bacon, cooked

? 8 slices gruyere cheese

? 4 brioche buns

Method for Boardroom Burger:

Mix the beef and salt into burger-size portions. Cook burgers on a wood-fired grill using cherry, oak and maple woods.

Bake onion rings as directed.

Cook burgers to desired temperature; just before they are to temperature, place two slices of gruyere cheese on top of each burger.

Brush buns with a little oil and place buns on the grill to toast. Finish by putting a burger on a bun and topping with the bacon and an onion ring. Yield: 4 servings.

Chef Tedy’s twist on a traditional side of wasabi is to puree a cucumber and use only the drained juice, along with some mayonnaise and kosher salt. He calls his creation “Cusabi.” I’ve tried to eat straight wasabi, but there’s way too much burn for even this hot spice lover. Tedy’s Cusabi was a perfect blend and a superb choice to plate next to his Asian BLT. And listen up: “You must use Hellman’s Mayonnaise,” he said. “You must!” So, if you choose to use another brand, don’t say he didn’t warn you.

Please plan ahead. The sauce for this recipe must be made three hours ahead of when you plan to serve it.

Asian BLT

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 12 shrimp (size 16/20, which means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed

? 2 cups teriyaki sauce

? 1 cup oyster sauce

? 1 cup hoisin sauce

? 10 drops sesame oil

? 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

? 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped green onions

? 2 loaves French bread

? Grapeseed oil

? Hellman’s Mayonnaise

? Lettuce of your choice

? 12 slices bacon, cooked

? 2 heirloom tomatoes (or beef steak tomatoes), sliced

Cusabi Ingredients:

? 1 cucumber, peeled, diced, and pureed; drain in cheese cloth (you will use only the juice)

? Wasabi powder, to taste

? Hellman’s Mayonnaise, to taste

? Kosher salt, just a minor dash

Method for Asian BLT:

For the Cusabi, prepare the cucumber juice as above in the list of ingredients. To the cucumber juice, add wasabi powder and mix well with the juice to incorporate. Add a bit of Hellman’s Mayonnaise to this mixture until you get the taste to your liking. Chef Tedy then adds just a pinch or two — truly a tiny pinch of kosher salt — to finish it off; set aside.

In a bowl, add teriyaki, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger and green onions. Whisk together and allow to rest for three hours.

Place the shrimp in a medium-size sauté pan and caramelize on one side. Flip the shrimp and add just enough of the sauce to coat each shrimp; place shrimp in preheated oven for 2 minutes.

Cut French loaf into slices and brush with grapeseed oil. Place bread in the oven directly on the grates with a sheet pan underneath to catch any drippings.

Spread mayonnaise on both sides of bread slices. To serve, place one slice of bread on plate; then a layer of lettuce, then shrimp, then tomato, then bacon (this prevents the bread from getting soggy). Top with second slice of bread. Slice in half and enjoy. Serve a dollop of Casabi next to the sandwich. Yield: 4 servings.

As I wrote above, the flavor of the broth in Chef Teddy’s Chorizo Mussels was so yummy that it took great discipline not to ask for a soup spoon to finish it off. After you cook the 2 pounds of chorizo, you remove the meat, but reserve the broth. Just before serving the mussels in the broth, you can add just a touch of the meat to the broth. The rest of the cooked chorizo can be served in a ground pork and chorizo meatball sub.

Chorizo Mussels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 80 mussels (20 mussels per person)

? 2 pounds Spanish chorizo, freshly ground

? 2 shallots, chopped

? 2 cloves garlic

? 4 ounces cilantro

? 6 cups chicken stock

? Red wine to taste

? 1 whole French loaf

? Grapeseed oil

? Kosher salt

Method for Chorizo Mussels:

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo. Remove meat, but reserve drippings in the pan. To the drippings, add shallots, one garlic clove and cilantro until you smell the garlic. Add chicken stock and red wine and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover with another sauté pan. Steam until mussels open — about 3 minutes.

Slice the bread and rub with garlic clove; brush with grapeseed oil and a touch of kosher salt and toast in a 350 degree oven. Place 20 mussels and broth (with a little bit of the cooked chorizo) into 4 servings bowls and serve with the toasted bread. Yield: 4 servings.

Plated with one of our dishes was a side of Veggie quinoa — seasonal veggies, shallots and mild mushrooms over red quinoa — a must-order!

At the end of our repast, Chef Tedy asked us to sample Pastry Chef Carrie Kincaid’s signature Key Lime Cheesecake. My husband’s favorite dessert is Key Lime Pie. I know he’s going to be wowed when we visit The Boardroom together and is treated to this fluffy, key-limey delicacy. Kudos, Carrie!

Restaurants come and restaurants go, but my prediction is that The Boardroom restaurant is here to stay. Thank you, Chef Tedy, for making our visit a lunch to remember!

(Editor’s note: If you have recipes to share, or recipes you want, contact Marie Cook, Coastal Point, P.O. Box 1324, Ocean View, DE 19970; or by email at ChefMarieCook@gmail.com. Please include your phone number. Recipes in this column are not tested by the Coastal Point.)

Don't judge a dog by its coat

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You’re looking for a dog, but someone in your family has allergies. Do you have children? Are you an active family? Do you enjoy outdoor activities? Are you a runner or a jogger? Does someone in your family like to hunt? Maybe there is someone in the family that enjoys fishing. Well, have I got the breed for you… A poodle. Yes, I said a poodle.

Coastal Point Coastal Point

Poodles come in three sizes — standard, miniature and toy. They also come in a variety of colors. They are good for people with allergies. They are athletic, great with kids, good hunting dogs and one of the most intelligent dog breeds.

Many people see the poodles on TV in the show clips and are very turned off from them.

To be honest, the clips are rather silly looking, but there was a purpose for the strange clips. Standard poodles were originally a water hunting dog. The rear half of the dog was shaved down to keep the dog from being weighted down with all that wet hair. The front was left long to protect it from the cold chilly water.

The “poofs” on the rear were to protect the internal organs from the cold water. The poof on the tail was so the hunter could find the dog in the water. Today, most people keep their pet poodles in a more casual clip, with a poofy head, poof on the tail and shorter legs and body.

There are numerous variations for pet poodle clips, though. In fact, the fact that poodles need constant grooming is about the only mark against poodles. Generally, poodles need professional grooming every six to eight weeks. If poodles are kept in a longer-style cut, they will require more owner brushing and combing between professional groomings. If kept in a shorter-style cut, the regular six- to eight-week professional grooming regimen will usually suffice.

Poodles are one of the most intelligent and easiest-trained dogs. They live to please their humans. However, because they are extremely intelligent, they will need things to do, or they will find things to do on their own, and usually it is things that we don’t appreciate.

Poodles need jobs to do, which could be what we consider play. Things like playing fetch, learning tricks, searching for things, agility and more will help to keep your poodle happy. Poodles also like to swim. They are great with kids.

They excel in hunting/retrieving. Poodles are being trained as service dogs. About the only thing poodles aren’t trained for is attack training. They can track and do search-and-rescue work. They are often used as therapy dogs, too. Poodles are terrific athletes. They will accompany you on your morning jog. They will run and play in the yard with the kids.

Poodles will do almost anything asked of them. They really are a terrific dog for almost every purpose, as long as you can look past the “unique” show clips. This is one of those times where you shouldn’t judge a dog by its cover.

Cheryl Loveland is a dog groomer, pet-sitter, dog trainer and fosterer for many unwanted animals. She does rescue work for all types of animals and has owned or fostered most types of domestic animals and many wild ones. She currently resides with two bloodhounds, which she has shown in conformation and is currently training her male bloodhound for search-and-rescue work. Also residing with her are a bichon frisée, two cats and two birds. She welcomes comments, questions and suggestions for future articles at countryservice@comcast.net. Remember, she is not an expert: she offers her opinions and suggestions from her experience and research.

Delaware South softball wins Carpenters Cup

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On July 9, more than a dozen young women from southern Delaware were honored at the Phillies baseball park in Philadelphia, Pa. The Delaware South softball team had just gone undefeated in the Carpenter Cup Classic.

Coastal Point • Submitted: The Delaware South team was undefeated in the Carpenter Cup Classic, when they defeated Tri-Cape for the championship at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.Coastal Point • Submitted
The Delaware South team was undefeated in the Carpenter Cup Classic, when they defeated Tri-Cape for the championship at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Featuring Indian River High School’s own Rachel Hudson and Karlie Smith, the Carpenter Cup is a college showcase tournament named for former Phillies’ owners Bob and Ruly Carpenter.

There are 16 Softball Carpenter Cup franchises representing 17 leagues from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The inaugural softball tournament was played in 2005, and Delaware South claimed the first title. With wins in 2009 and 2014, they have a four-year tradition of wins.

“The girls did awesome,” said manager Gerald Jester. “We scored early and often, and that was a big key to our success. We just relied on our pitchers to shut them down, and they did.”

The undefeated Delaware South even beat Delaware North twice in the double-elimination series.

“You need a strong team from top to bottom, not just a strong seven or eight,” said Jester. “Fortunately for lower Delaware, we were able to do that with all the girls playing.”

With three weeks to pull together a top-notch team, Jester said this year wasn’t too difficult because most of the girls play school or travel ball.

“The kids just gelled together,” he said. “They all know each other anyway. They’re either playing with each other or against each other.”

Each team has a 14-player roster, all of whom must play three innings and bat once in every game. Pitchers are allowed a maximum of four innings. Freshmen and seniors may not compete.

“I appreciate the girls that came and tried out. We had to turn away some that could’ve played on several teams we played against. The talent pool was so strong.”

Typically, a maximum of three players can represent each school. Delaware South hosted try-outs to pick their squad.

“Rachel did an outstanding job for us on the mound,” Jester said. “I had to talk Rachel into trying out. It’s a good thing she did, because she was a good.”

He also had Smith batting second, fifth or sixth.

“She was a good stick. I could always count on her to make contact, move some batters around,” Jester said.

Delaware South players did not have to pay a fee to participate. They just needed transportation to the games in Philly, and a sponsor provided uniforms.

“They were actually the best-dressed and played the best,” Jester said. “I hope the girls that participated can cherish it for a long time.”

Late-night hits help Lower Sussex defeat Georgetown softball, 6-5

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Lower Sussex and Georgetown battled past 11 p.m. on a Saturday night to decide who would continue in the District III Little League All-Star games. And, four days later, they were poised for a rematch.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Savannah O'Shields (54) dashes for first during Lower Sussex Little League's narrow All-Star win over Georgetown.Coastal Point • Laura Walter
Savannah O'Shields (54) dashes for first during Lower Sussex Little League's narrow All-Star win over Georgetown.

Fairly neck-and-neck throughout the 2.5-hour game on July 6, Georgetown was ahead in the final inning, 4-5, and popped the ball to right field, where Sussex’s Olivia Parker made a clean catch for the second out.

“I knew if I let it go, that would be two,” Parker said of the potential two-run Georgetown lead. “I was almost crying.”

After one walk, Sussex caught Georgetown’s final hit. Then the green-and-gold stepped up to take back the game.

After a walk and a steal, Morgan Bomhardt was poised at second when Lauren Holladay smacked a grounder past third. Holladay’s RBI double tied the game at 5-5. Lower Sussex definitely had a chance of going into overtime — unless they could score again in regular game time.

A fielding error on Precious Jackson-Powell’s single helped propel Holladay to third: prime real estate in a tied game. Sierra Livingston hit the final ball that would end the game at 6-5.

Kayler Townsend and Morgan Bomhardt combined pitching efforts against Georgetown for the win.

Most teams feature the minimum 12 players, but this team opted for more, said coach Theresa O’Shields.

“We can’t stress enough that it’s a team effort,” O’Shields said.

“Thirteen is the lucky number,” said manager Alicia Bomhardt. “They’re on their toes, pitching, hitting, outfield.”

They had already topped Millsboro, 12-0, in four innings. Savannah O’Shields was credited with a no-hitter. They then beat Nanticoke on July 8, 14-4, in four innings.

“Today, we had to raise our game. This was a good team,” said Bomhardt.

“We had to maintain confidence,” O’Shields said, especially with the noise coming from the bleachers. “It was an intense game, and the girls handled the pressure well. We kept telling the girls, ‘Play your game.’”

“Our saying is, ‘Smart ball,’ just staying positive,” Bomhardt said.

Lower Sussex was scheduled to play Georgetown again on Wednesday, July 10, after Coastal Point deadline. With a win, Sussex would be the District III champions. A loss by Sussex would mean the teams would have a rematch July 11 for the title.

In Junior softball (14 or younger), winners Laurel and Georgetown/Millsboro were scheduled to compete Wednesday, July 10. The loser was to play Thursday night at Laurel (against Nanticoke or Woodbridge). The winners of those two games will face off Friday, July 12, at 7 p.m. at Laurel.

Senior softball (16 or younger) will begin Monday, July 15. Lower Sussex faces Nanticoke at 6 p.m. at Lower Sussex. Cape and Laurel play at 8 p.m. The winners of those games play Tuesday, July 16, at 6 p.m. at Lower Sussex, and the losers play at 8 p.m.

Little League baseball rocks the all-stars, prepares for rivals

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Only giving up one run in two games, the Lower Sussex baseball All-Stars are on fire. The Major League team (ages 12 or younger) crushed Milton, 10-0, in their first match to determine the All-Star champs of Sussex County.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Ian Shaner slides into scoring position, helping Lower Sussex Little League's All-Stars win over Milton.Coastal Point • Laura Walter
Ian Shaner slides into scoring position, helping Lower Sussex Little League's All-Stars win over Milton.

After Lower Sussex’s first pitch hit the Milton batter’s arm, Sussex re-focused and sent the next three batters back to the bench. Strikeouts and solid fielding became a Sussex standard for the rest of the night.

Manager Jason Killen complimented the “great pitching” by J.J. Killen and Mitch Megee and “quality defense” by the whole team. He also noted that the entire team had hits at the July 6 game.

J.J. Killen’s first-inning homerun over the right-field fence sent him and Dominic Patille (who walked) home for a fast start to the scoring.

A Milton error helped keep Zach Schultz’s pop-up in play, and the frustrated pitcher walked another player. Luke Morgan’s grounder bounced directly off first base, leading to an RBI.

The score ended at 3-0 in the first inning.

At the end of the second, Milton had used up 61 pitches, while Lower Sussex was still at 25. Despite hitting two singles, Milton’s four batters quickly took their seats again.

Sussex’s Ian Shaner took advantage of his walk to steal around and head home on J.J. Killen’s next hit. Zach Schultz hit an RBI double to bring the score to 5-0. The game ended in four innings.

“It was a big improvement from our scrimmage, and our defense was working well,” Megee said afterward.

He complimented catcher Patille’s framing (adjusting the glove so a pitch appears to be a strike).

“I felt good about the victory,” said J.J. Killen. “[The team] was not arguing. We showed a lot of sportsmanship. … All of our practices paid off.”

The team’s signature move is an air high-five, which they often shoot each other and coaches from across the field.

“It’s important to keep a positive attitude,” said Jason Killen, a three-year manager. “It’s infectious. This team can do great things.”

Prior to beating Milton, Sussex on July 9 played Nanticoke, who had just come off a 3-0 victory over Millsboro. Sussex won, 7-1.

With nine players returning to the All-Stars and a few new faces, the Major League team is looking forward to a good tournament. Lower Sussex’s next game is crucial to their progress. They are scheduled to play rival Lewes on Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. at Laurel.

Lewes not only beat Laurel, 12-4, and Woodbridge 6-3, but they defeated Sussex twice in past All-Star championship games. The winner plays July 13 at Laurel at 7 p.m., while the loser plays at Milton on July 12 at 7 p.m.

In junior baseball (14 or younger), Lower Sussex faces Cape on Saturday, July 13, at Nanticoke at 4 p.m. The winner plays Georgetown on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Nanticoke. The loser travels to Millsboro on Monday, July 15, at 7 p.m.

Lower Sussex senior baseball (16 or younger) begins Friday, July 12, at 7 p.m. at Georgetown against the winner of Thursday’s Cape-versus-Georgetown game.

The double-elimination tournament will have a winner on the night of July 13 or 14.

Creativity is key for JMC Teacher of the Year

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During the school year, Molly Abbott doesn’t just teach. She helps to build a sense of community at John M. Clayton Elementary School, where she was named the school’s Teacher of the Year for 2013-2014.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Molly Abbott is John M. Clatyon’s Teacher of the Year. Abbott attended Lord Baltimore Elementary School before moving to Virginia and returned to the area to teach elementary school children.Coastal Point • Laura Walter
Molly Abbott is John M. Clatyon’s Teacher of the Year. Abbott attended Lord Baltimore Elementary School before moving to Virginia and returned to the area to teach elementary school children.

Receiving the award for the first time, Abbott said she always wanted to teach, and now her favorite part is planning and teaching lessons for the fourth grade. She gets to take educational standards and “create lessons that will be fun. [They can] be creative, as long as they fulfill the standard.”

Even as a child, she happily decorated the bulletin board at her mother’s in-home daycare. After she attended Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Abbott’s family moved to Virginia, where she attended James Madison University for early childhood education.

Through her six years of teaching, all at JMC, Abbott has taught other grades, but she said she likes fourth grade best because the kids are mature, but not too much.

“You can still talk with them and joke, [but] they get your humor. It’s a good balance for me,” Abbott said.

In an inclusion classroom, Abbott teaches general education, while another instructor helps those with special learning needs. Her challenge and goal is to meet the needs of every unique learner in the classroom. Abbott likes to use “tons of” cooperative group work and hands-on projects, so her students talk a lot to collaborate.

JMC compartmentalizes some classes, so Abbott teaches math and science. Between JMC’s large population of English language learners who are learning to read a new language and children’s natural enthusiasm for hands-on projects, Abbott said the children and she particularly enjoy these subjects.

She admitted to being a tough teacher at times but said her kids know she has high expectations and their best interests at heart.

As a PTO representative, Abbott said she also really enjoys planning events for the whole family.

“I like those events because ... with their families, [you] get to see different side of them,” Abbott said.

Having returned to her native Route 26 corridor, Abbott called her school an “amazing community” and said their success is “definitely a team effort.”

“I really do love this school. I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else,” Abbott said. “The kids are great here. There’s something special about them. They’re just unique here.”

Local beach replenishment timetable still uncertain

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This summer, Delaware is receiving $30 million worth of beach replenishment services from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But the big question is when.

After losing sand from the dunes and beach to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the East Coast was allotted federal funding through the Corps for repairs, which were supposed to begin in Delaware in June. Town officials have been told to expect replenishment beginning as soon as this month, with contractors already given the go-ahead for preparatory steps.

Determining dates for such projects is already a tricky process because a dredge may be coming from another project location. The contractor makes the final decision and, “It is not that exact of a science,” said Tony Pratt, manager for DNREC’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section. “Take it with a grain of salt.”

In 2005, Dewey Beach was expecting a big replenishment project that initially lasted six hours, before a damaged pipe stopped work for two weeks.

“Anything can happen, I’ve learned,” Pratt said this week.

Indian River Inlet should be the first to see work, but the final contract and order of operations has not been determined, he added.

DNREC generally recommends beginning the process with higher-population areas, such as Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach and Dewey Beach, before moving on to less-populated areas, such as South Bethany and Fenwick Island. All those towns will see a barge being located offshore that will pump sand to the beach. The Lewes project is small enough to just import sand by the truckload.

But stormwater outfall pipes off Rehoboth Beach are undergoing retrofitting, which may impact Rehoboth’s schedule, as only one contractor can work in the area at a time.

Pratt noted that, currently, surveys are being done across the coast in preparation for the replenishment, so DNREC or Army Corps vessels may be witnessed offshore. At this point, no private beaches, such as Sea Colony, are piggybacking on the replenishment project, Pratt said.

Summertime is preferred for replenishment because marine life are more affected by winter work. And because people are not allowed to use the immediate area of the replenished beach during replenishment work, the goal is to work quickly and close the beach in minimal portions. That information is worked into the final contract,” noted Pratt.

“We are certainly very, very aware that we’re moving into recreational beaches in the middle of the … summer season, when people are here to enjoy themselves,” Pratt said. “We will try to move as quickly as possible.”

However, the contractor must have ample room for pipes, equipment stockpiles, the construction trailer and more.

“They’ve got to make it safe for their people — not so cramped that they can’t work, but small as possible, so people can enjoy themselves.”

In the beach towns, concerns linger about which projects will get started first and the impact the resulting timetable will have on beachgoers, whether they’re short-term renters or year-round residents, and the extended impact on local businesses.

“We hope they’ll work at the inlet first and push ours as far back as possible,” Bethany Beach Town Manager Cliff Graviet told council members at a June 21 meeting, expressing hopes shared by the town’s beachfront neighbors.

Pratt said the contractors are used to working with beach towns and are good to work with. Pre-Sandy beach replenishment may have prevented worse damage to towns and infrastructure, he emphasized.

“It’s a balancing act. We’re certainly glad that the Congress was generous and is allowing us to build our beaches … to get back to defensive levels,” Pratt said.


South Bethany prepares to adopt Mediacom pact

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The South Bethany Town Council held a workshop this past week and will most likely vote on a Mediacom franchise agreement at their upcoming regular council meeting.

At the workshop, the council heard from former Councilman Bob Cestone, who has been spearheading the efforts to formalize the new agreement, in cooperation with representatives of the towns of Ocean View, South Bethany and Millville — all of which were due for renewal of their franchise agreements — along with an attorney hired by the towns who specializes in such agreements.

Cestone said some of the things all the towns in the agreement asked for were a more basic television plan and automatic billing credits — both to no avail.

“People don’t have a lot to negotiate with,” he said, noting that the Public Service Commission would be the agency for customers living outside municipalities to go to for assistance with problems with Mediacom, but “we are the PSC for the town.”

The council talked about residents’ complaints with Mediacom’s customer service and lack of competition for Internet service — something they said affects more people as they come to town to work remotely.

“People are coming here and working,” said Mayor Kathy Jankowski, “it’s not just TV and movies.”

Cestone said that, for service issues, people are to call Mediacom first, then the franchising authority, which would be the Town.

“This is about as good as it we are going to get with it,” said Cestone of the draft agreement.

The council agreed they would pass a resolution accepting it at their July 12 meeting. They said a summary would be available at the July meeting and the agreement in its entirety would be available online.

Bethany Beach adopted its new agreement at their June 28 council meeting.

At the workshop, the council also further discussed bikes, wagons and carts — a subject they had discussed at their last council meeting, when a property owner brought up that people park alongside his private fence, sometimes even when bike racks are empty.

“We have a huge number of bikes, chairs on wagons, strollers, baby carriages and a huge number of bike racks not being used at all,” said Councilman Al Rae. He said the situation seems to vary by street.

“Is there some kind of solution for non-cars?” he asked, inquiring whether a car parking spot could be designated for things such as bikes and wagons.

Councilwoman Sue Callaway said they would have to be careful not to discourage the use of bikes, because “it is one less car. We really need to be bike-friendly and stroller-friendly.”

“Exactly,” Rae replied.

“Well, it doesn’t need to be resolved right now,” said Jankowski. The council decided it was something they could discuss in the future.

The next town council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12.

Millville council approves Mediacom franchise agreement

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The Millville Town Council this week passed a resolution authorizing the execution of a cable franchise agreement between the town and Mediacom LLC, the third town in as many weeks to do so.

Echoing comments made at the other town’s council meetings, a number of residents spoke on July 9 about the lack of customer service from Mediacom and the lack of competition in the area.

Regina McNamara, who lives in Millville by the Sea, said she has lived there for 15 months and has had five visits from Mediacom.

“Their service is non-existent. I feel like I am being held hostage.”

She said the shutdown of her Internet service one day was blamed on too many people being on it at once. “What’s going to happen when we are fully developed? It would be nice to have a choice. Thank you for listening to me.”

A resident of nearby Coventry said he had talked to Verizon about FIOS and was told Verizon couldn’t go in and offer video there because Mediacom did.

“It is a non-exclusive agreement,” said Seth Thompson, the town solicitor. “If somebody else wanted to come into town, they could.”

Paul Weller of Millville by the Sea asked if they should start a petition to see if another company would come in.

“I can’t direct you either way” said Mayor Gerry Hocker. “But you can do that.”

Thompson again reiterated that it was a “non-exclusive agreement,” and another company could come in to apply for a franchise agreement.

“This doesn’t exclude anybody, but the Town isn’t in control of how the companies do business. This agreement allows you to have the choice if two businesses decided they wanted to come into town,” said Thompson. “This agreement allows for that possibility.”

Verizon representatives have told officials in other local municipalities that they do not have plans to bring FIOS service to the area, due to the infrastructure cost involved and the likelihood that it would get too few customers to justify that cost.

Also at this week’s council meeting, the council adopted the building construction standards in the International Building Code’s 2012 edition and the International Residential Code 2012 edition, with exceptions.

Thompson said it was more of a “housekeeping” issue because the town code referenced the 2003 edition and they wanted the code to reflect the updated version.

There will be no July council workshop in Millville. The next town council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13.

Body of missing swimmer discovered by boater north of Inlet

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Last Friday, July 5, the body of 33-year-old Jordanville, N.Y., resident Jeffery King was recovered in the Atlantic Ocean by Delaware State Police and the Department of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife.

“A boater traveling north of the Indian River Inlet discovered a body floating in the water,” explained DSP Public Information Officer Master Cpl. Gary E. Fournier.

The body was secured and brought back to the U.S. Coast Guard Station, where it was then turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which performed an autopsy and identified it as that of King, who had gone missing from the waters of the Delaware Seashore State Park five days earlier, when he was swimming with friends.

His cause of death was ruled to be accidental.

“The individuals he was swimming with told us that he was struggling — that’s how they put it,” said Wayne Kline, chief of enforcement for Delaware State Parks. “They tried to help him and couldn’t.”

King went missing during an outgoing tide, from a guarded beach, but before the lifeguards were on duty for the day. Kline and the DSP recommended that swimmers be cautious and aware when swimming without the presence of lifeguards.

“We recommend you swim in a guarded swimming area during lifeguarded hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” said King of Seashore State Park.

Police still looking for suspect in home invasion

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Delaware State Police this week were still looking for the suspect in a June 27 home-invasion robbery near Frankford.

Police said that, last Thursday, around 10:20 p.m., a black man, about 5 feet, 10 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing around 140 to 160 pounds, with an average build and short black hair had entered the residents of a 26-year-old Frankford-area man in the 34000 block of DuPont Boulevard (Route 113).

According to the DSP, the 26-year-old victim was sleeping in his bedroom when he heard noise coming from the kitchen. When the victim entered the kitchen, they said, he observed an intruder standing next to a table where an undisclosed amount of cash was laying and then saw him take the money.

When the victim attempted to subdue the intruder, police said, he was punched in the face. The suspect then fled the residence in an unknown direction. He did not display a weapon during the incident, the DSP noted.

DSP Public Information Officer Master Cpl. Gary E. Fournier said that police cannot recommend whether or not a person should confront an intruder, but he did suggest they call the police immediately.

“The only thing we suggest as state police is to dial 911 immediately. If you hear something going on in your house and it’s an unusual noise or anything of that nature, contact the police immediately so that we can start that way and, hopefully, intercept whomever that person is,” he said.

“We would not suggest taking actions into your own hands, only because of the safety of yourself and others that may be in your house,” he added.

Police said the victim in the incident did not require medical treatment as a result.

Fournier said it is unknown whether or not the intruder and victim knew each other prior to the incident.

The suspect was last seen wearing a white shirt, dark pants and black shoes.

If anyone has any information in reference to the incident, they are being asked to contact Troop 4 at (302) 856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the Internet at www.tipsubmit.com or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

Designated driver service continues to serve overserved

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When Bill Fox went to buy a bus for his new business venture, he didn’t know that it would be a meaningful exchange.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark: Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark Bill Fox takes a minute out of his busy life to pose with his fleet of vehicles, intended to help stop people from driving drunk.Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark
Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark Bill Fox takes a minute out of his busy life to pose with his fleet of vehicles, intended to help stop people from driving drunk.

“It was for sale on Craig’s List,” said Fox of what is now called “The Bloody Mary,” one of three vehicles used in his designated driver service.

When Fox went to pick up the bus from Denton, Md., he met Amanda Hill, whose husband, John, had been a school bus driver.

“When we told her what we were going to do with it, that we were going to use it as a designated driver bus so people weren’t driving and driving, she started to cry,” he recalled. “She pointed to her six kids jumping on a trampoline and said that’s my husband’s bus, and he was killed by a drunk driver on 404, and that’s the last thing I have of him.”

Fox said Hill’s story has stayed with him, and he even put a plaque on the rear of the bus in memory of John Hill.

A few weeks ago, Fox was driving the Bloody Mary when it started to act up.

“It was shuddering and all kinds of crazy stuff. I pulled over at a gas station in Millsboro to see what was the matter, and I get out of the Bloody Mary, and there she is, with four of her six kids,” said Fox of Hill.

“I told her what was going on. I said, ‘The bus was acting funny, so I pulled over here, and it just so happens I meet you here.’ We took some pictures, exchanged information said our goodbyes. I got back in the truck, started it up — and nothing wrong with it.”

Fox said the meeting was serendipitous, and meeting the Hill family shows the importance of his business.

“I think it was John who made me pull over, so his family could see the bus,” he said. “Sometimes I get discouraged with repairs, expenses and stuff like that. When something like that happens, it just shows me what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Along with the Bloody Mary, Fox also has his original pirate-themed bus, the Black Pearl, and the newly acquired Admiral Loco, a six-wheel-drive military troop carrier truck. The Admiral Loco will be used for sightseeing tours around the area, as well as designated driver services, when Fox doesn’t have it on the beach for surf fishing.

His limousine service serves the Sussex coastal area and charges an hourly fee or offers a flat rate to rent out one of the two buses for up to eight hours.

“Basically, we’ll have three different buses in the area. There’ll be one in Fenwick, one in Millville and one in Rehoboth. If you’re in the general area and call, we’ll come and get you, if we’re available,” he explained, noting that he does try to provide safe rides as much as possible. “People can call in advance for a pickup, or they would reserve the bus. If there are people during that time and someone needs a ride home, we’ll try to accommodate them.”

Fox said everyone from visitors to locals to businesses have embraced his service.

“Locals have really embraced the buses. They know the importance of staying off the road and not drinking and driving. A lot of the locals rent them out for all kinds of things — birthday parties and bachelorette parties — anything,” he said. “The community then saw what we were doing and said, ‘Hey, we want you to do this.”

Now the three vehicles have more than 30 sponsors, including Matteo’s Salsa Loco, Fox’s Pizza and Studio 26, showing their support of the enterprise.

“It takes a whole village,” he said. “Everyone in this community has been great to us and shown that they want this service to stay here.”

Fox said that, because of the support he has received, he hopes to give back to the community by raising money for local charities, but he has yet to pick one.

“I want to give back to the area, since it’s given me so much to us,” he said.

Fox added that his vehicles are up to state standards for safety and have seatbelts, fire extinguishers, first aid kits and even ladders because, if you’re planning on having a fun night out on the town, why not do it safely?

“This place is real fun. And remember, what happens here in southern Delaware stays in southern Delaware. What happens on the bus stays on the bus,” said Fox with a laugh.

For more information or to schedule a ride with the Black Pearl Designated Driver Services, call (302) 569-2273, or find them on Facebook.

IR students get 'two for the price of one' with UD dual enrollment

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Indian River High School students now have the opportunity to earn college credit directly in IR classrooms. IR will offer University of Delaware Dual Enrollment in September, for students to earn three English 110 credits.

Students who take the class will have a leg-up on their freshman year at UD, or they can transfer credits to any other university that accepts them. If nothing else, they’ll have experience with college-level writing.

The UD program is especially relevant because so many IR students attend UD once they graduate, said Principal Bennett Murray.

The Freshman Composition class focuses on college-level research and writing — skills needed for all subjects, from psychology to math.

“English 110 is mandatory for all [UD] students,” Murray said. “If our students can gather that before leaving high school, they’ll be prepared for all their classes.”

After years of teaching 12th-grade English, Michelle Peeling will step up to teach the class, also taking classes herself for a UD teaching certification.

Dual enrollment doesn’t focus as much on English literature as Advanced Placement courses do and in which the students can test to receive college credit at a wide range of universities. Nor does it take students out of school, like Academic Challenge, in which students travel to Delaware Technical & Community College to attend UD courses.

“You already have to be at a certain level” for those courses, said LouAnn Hudson, IR director of curriculum and instruction. “This is about developing skills … a willingness and desire to succeed.”

But the college-prep and honors students are equally capable of college work, so dual enrollment reaches a broader audience.

While each of the 18 students who applied was considered through writing samples, attendance and a B average, the class “was open to any student who was really invested and wanted to try to do it,” said Hudson.

The pilot program may expand to include additional courses in the future.

At an estimated $620 per student, the IR school district will pay college credit fees, at least in the program’s infancy. IR students must take four years of English anyway, but now they’ll graduate with the start of a college transcript.

UD has offered dual enrollment for about 10 years, according to Debbie Farris of the UD Access Center, which manages the program. Other participating high schools include Middletown, Appoquinimink, A.I. DuPont, Cab Calloway, Cape Henlopen, Glasgow and Charter School of Wilmington.

In the 2012-2013 school year, five dual enrollment classes were offered to 40 students online and 70 in the classroom.

“It’s two for the price of one,” said Murray. “We’re excited about it for the school and for the students to have an opportunity like this.”

Royal Farms to have preliminary site review in Ocean View

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The Ocean View Planning & Zoning Commission will meet on July 18 to review a site plan submitted by Two Farms Inc. for a Royal Farms convenience store and gas station to be located at 54 Atlantic Avenue, on Route 26, adjacent to the new CVS store and Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church.

“A preliminary site plan is basically to find out that what they’re proposing to put there is permissible by code,” explained Town Administrative Official Charlie McMullen, “to see if they’ve met all the requirements as outlined in the code for zoning regulations that are applicable to this particular type of use.”

McMullen said that, during the meeting, which is set for Thursday at 7 p.m., representatives from Royal Farms will discuss their plans for the convenience store and outline how their plan has met the code, by touching on such topics as parking and trash disposal.

McMullen said the Town has already received a letter from Mariner’s Bethel church regarding the application and expects they will have a representative at the meeting to voice their concerns.

He noted that, as it is a preliminary hearing, more hearings will be held regarding the potential business.

“This is a review. It’s unlike a variance, which is a public hearing. While this is publically noticed, and we offer people the opportunity to speak, if these people are doing what they are required to do by the code, then we can’t deny them if they aren’t breaking any rules.”

The Town had previously been in court regarding the property owner’s request to combine the lots for uses under General Business zoning, which means Royal Farms is now able to have the review done under the Town’s old code.

“This parcel, because the town denied the Timmonses’ request to zone their property at 72 West Avenue as a conditional-use, they denied his request for GB. They went to court for that and the court ruled that, because the 2004 Comprehensive Land Use Plan showed that the future use was to be General Business, it should have been rezoned GB within 18-months of the adoption of that.

“Because it hadn’t,” McMullen said, “it was General Business because they failed to do it. They were given the option to have the reviews done under the new code or the old code.”

He added that, with the outcome of another lawsuit that the Town lost, gas stations are considered part of a convenience store and therefore a permissible use for the property.

“The use was established by a court ruling when the Town declined to grant a conditional use to the Marino property across from Savannah’s Landing. They went to court, and the court found that gas pumps are inherent with convenient stores in today’s age. Therefore, they were permitted to put a convenience store with gas pumps.”

McMullen added that he believes Royal Farms, like CVS, will work hard to be a positive addition to the community.

“I’m sure Royal Farms will try to be a good neighbor, just like CVS has been a good neighbor.”


Restaurant's off-site parking raises concerns

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Fenwick Island officials and citizens offered a welcome to one of the town’s newest businesses this week, taking note of the immediate popularity of the restaurant Ropewalk. But the welcome came with a chorus of concern about the unusual step they have taken to handle limited parking at the restaurant.

“I have heard some concerns from citizens about the vacant lot at Coastal Highway and Dagsboro Street,” Building Official Patricia Schuchman told the council and assembled citizens at the June 28 council meeting.

She explained that the owners of nearby Ropewalk now have an agreement for use of the former Libby’s lot for use as parking by their patrons, as does St. Matthews by-the-Sea church for its parishioners.

“The terms of the agreement include that the property must be maintained to the satisfaction of the Town and that liability insurance be obtained,” she noted, adding that the lot’s owner is not charging for its use.

Some of the concerns, Schuchman said, were about a town ordinance that prohibits vacant lots from being used as parking lots. The ordinance, she said, spells out that unimproved lots cannot be used for vehicle parking. However, she emphasized, that lot is surfaced with asphalt and stone, which means it is not considered unimproved under town code.

“Ropewalk is in compliance with the parking requirements for a restaurant,” she added. “They saw a need for additional parking, and partly in an effort to reduce traffic congestion from people parking on Atlantic, made an agreement for exclusive use of the lot for their employees and overflow parking for customers.”

Schuchman said Ropewalk had agreed to monitor the satellite parking lot to avoid having people park there for beach access, which would otherwise require a paid parking pass. It’s also closed off after hours with a chain.

The only violation Schuchman said she had found in the situation was the presence of a sign there that said it was parking for Ropewalk customers.

“The sign for the parking was found to be commercial in nature and was removed,” she explained.

Resident Buzz Henifin said he had been concerned that the lot would be used for illegal beach parking but that he had been relieved to find someone was monitoring it at least part-time. He said he had seen people park there when it was unmonitored and go to another Fenwick restaurant, though.

“It is a business in town, but it’s an improper use,” he said, asking that Ropewalk expand the hours during which the lot is monitored.

Resident Lynn Andrews said she was also concerned about the parking use on the lot.

“A parking lot is not allowed in Fenwick Island and, if it is an unimproved lot… I don’t understand how some gravel makes it an improved lot. I don’t wish anyone bad luck in business, but the point is it is a parking lot, and they have to walk two blocks, which we all know is not the safest situation in the world.”

Andrews said she also questioned the restaurant’s stated 200 seats for customers, recalling an attempt to move a restaurant to the town years ago, in which the owner had been told there was not enough parking there for a restaurant.

“How come we can have a restaurant with 200 seats in the old Captain Pete’s?” she asked.

Schuchman explained that the town’s zoning ordinance had been updated in March, with the requirement for restaurant parking changed to one space per 100 square feet of customer area.

“They have just under 2,200 square feet of customer area and 28 parking places at the restaurant,” she noted of Ropewalk, adding that the requirement for parking as related to the number of seats had been removed from the ordinance.

Henifin pointed out that Ropewalk actually has six more spaces than required under the new ordinance. “Why do they need an additional parking lot?”

Ropewalk representatives present at the June 28 council meeting said parking was the biggest concern they’d heard from their neighbors.

“We’re trying to fit in as well as we can,” they said. “We were fortunate to be able to use the lot up the street.” They said they’d ideally wanted to have a shuttle to take customers from the satellite parking to the restaurant and back again but found out the shuttle wouldn’t be allowed. With a need for parking for employees, as well, they said, “We want to make it as convenient for our customers as we can.”

They said they were open to any suggestions to improve the situation and wanted to keep the lot just as parking for Ropewalk, with potential plans to add plantings to the lot and perhaps a bike rack to the restaurant location itself.

“We do want to be part of the neighborhood and make it more positive, rather than just coming in and trying to change things.”

Resident Ben Wade praised Ropewalk’s efforts to monitor the lot, including during rain and heat. But he said that, long term, the Town needed to consider parking issues. He also noted that Ropewalk was one of the first businesses in the town to comply with new comprehensive plan ideas of moving businesses to the front of the street and parking to the rear.

“Unfortunately,” added Councilman Todd Smallwood, “I think you’re going to be a victim of your own success, because that lot is going to sell.”

Councilwoman Vicki Carmean said she, too, was concerned about the parking issues over the longer haul.

“Parking here in town is a bigger topic, and it needs to be addressed comprehensively. We have issues with the Town providing services, and residents pay for that, and then we have visitors coming in and they’re not paying for parking, not paying for anything, and benefitting from things that the Town provides. And then we have restaurants that have a legitimate need to provide parking space.”

She noted that, even when the church is not having services, she sees “cars there from everywhere in the world,” with at least some of those people headed to the beach when they park in the church’s lot.

Councilman Bill Weistling said, “I was a little concerned when you first opened that parking lot, but the monitoring has been great.”

Resident Pete Frederick said he was concerned about the precedent that allowing parking on the lot might create, asking if someone with a lot for sale could just put in some gravel and use it for parking while waiting for a buyer.

Weistling said he agreed about setting a precedent but noted that he felt the lot in question was different, as it had been used for parking for the last four or five years for the church, without complaint. He noted it had also been used by DelDOT workers during street projects and by the Town’s paving contractors, all without a charge levied by the lot owner. He said the Town should still probably look at the issue.

Schuchman said she felt precedent wasn’t so much of an issue because the former Libby’s had an entrance permit with an existing driveway, from its time as that former restaurant. Someone couldn’t just come in and pave a lot without a driveway accessing the road, she said.

Resident Gail Warburton said the issue raised a question for her about parking for the Fenwick Island Farmers’ Market, where customers, she said, often park on a nearby unimproved lot.

Schuchman said the farmers’ market was a permitted use, with the lot it operates from roped off when it’s not in use, to prevent others from parking there. That lot, she said, is not an unimproved lot. But the unimproved lot Warburton mentioned was a location where people were not allowed to park, she added.

Weistling said he felt the Town needed to clarify those issues. “They may have to park for the farmers’ market on a side street,” he added.

Ropewalk’s owners said the ruling on their customer parking sign at the satellite lot had left them at loose ends. They wanted to make it clear it was only for their customers but couldn’t figure out how to do that without putting the restaurant’s name on it — a violation of signage ordinances, as Schuchman said it constituted off-site signage for the business.

“That’s really a Catch 22,” she admitted, suggesting it could say “no beach parking” but not offering a way in which Ropewalk could state that customers of other businesses weren’t allowed to park there.

Councilman Gardner Bunting said the Town would establish a committee to deal with the issue of the off-site parking and perhaps discuss it at a future council workshop.

McLaughlin and Vogel work together to delineate responsibilities

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This week, the Ocean View Town Council discussed the progress of the delineation of administrative responsibilities between Town Manager Dianne Vogel and Ocean View Police Chief Ken McLaughlin.

“We asked them about four months ago to come up with a document that would define administrative responsibilities. I think they have done that,” said Mayor Gordon Wood.

Vogel and McLaughlin created “an initial framework” using the town charter, personnel manual, employment contracts and one police policy.

“The chief and I spent several meetings to go over what was actually in existence and to see where we think the administrative tasks need to be added, changed and, in some cases, deleted,” said Vogel.

The suggested changes were laid out in a six-page document presented to the council and will include a future change in the terms of McLaughlin’s employment contract.

“As chief of police, employee shall be the chief executive officer of the Police Department of the Town of Ocean View and shall be under the direction and supervision of the town manager for administrative matters… Employee shall be responsible for overseeing and directing all activities of the Police Department employees.”

The council said they were happy with Vogel and McLaughlin’s work over the last four months.

“I’m personally very proud of this. I have been mayor for five and a half years, and I feel this is the most significant accomplishment,” said Wood. “We have now moved into an era where we have an honest-to-goodness real town-manager government… I suspect my colleagues are proud of it, and I know I am.”

“It is delightful to see a circumstance where we in council lay a task on our town manager and, lo and behold, there is documentation of cooperation and solid professional staff work. It is extraordinary, and it’s delightful to experience,” said Councilman Bob Lawless. “We’re laying a framework not for the individuals and personalities that we have today but for circumstances three or four generations to come.”

As all the documents will need to be changed over time, through amendments or new contracts, the council requested that the two proceed now in their work with the proposed changes in effect. Both agreed to do so.

“The spirit of the council’s wishes is in place, and I think it has been in place for more than a few months now,” said McLaughlin. “I think the town manager and myself were aware of the council’s wishes as far as our relationship. We are conducting business accordingly.”

Resident Steve Cobb asked the council if there would be a way to reduce the hours of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company’s fire alarm on Central Avenue.

“They have reduced their hours already,” he said. “I’d like the council to take a look to see if there can be a further reduction. Sometimes, the siren seems to be antiquated. I think there are faster ways, better ways, more 21st century ways.”

Currently, the alarm may be used between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Cobb said he’s an avid supporter of the police and fire departments and doesn’t believe that the alarm should be eliminated completely.

Wood asked Cobb what hours he felt would be good and said he would discuss the request with the fire department.

“I don’t know… I wouldn’t want to hinder the response in any way,” responded Cobb.

McLaughlin said that, as a member of the fire department, he often relies on the alarm to know that he needs to report to the station, rather than relying on a cell phone notification.

“It’s activated by the callboard, the 911-dispatch center, and I can tell you there is a delay. There have been plenty of times where I’ve heard the siren and I’m almost to the fire company before I get the alert on my cell phone. In fact, I’ve had it where I’m actually getting out of the truck and I get it.”

He added that there can be delays with cell phones and Internet connections, to the point where he felt it would be prudent to continue to use the siren.

“Sometimes it’s only a momentary delay. But when you’re talking about two or three minutes, that can be a big difference in some cases,” he said.

“And one other thing I wanted to add — the repeated alarms, even after you see the fire truck go out — that’s normally a manpower request. We’re saying we’ve got a crew of four or five on one engine, but this is a bigger call than we anticipated and we need more help. It’s basically a call for additional assistance.”

Cobb said he was appreciative of the council for agreeing to discuss it with the fire department.

In other town news:

• Town Administrative Official Charles McMullen said that he had met with the town engineer and contractor regarding the recent street rehabilitation project and complaints made by the public.

“We met yesterday with the contractor on-site. He was advised there was no excuse for the asphalt that is in the gutter pans or the aggregate that is loose on the streets,” said McMullen. “He has indicated that he will be down here next week with a crew using grinders with steel wire brush wheels to grind the asphalt off the gutter pans and come in a sweeper to remove the aggregate from the roadway and even under the trees that are overhanging too low for the machine to get underneath of it.”

McMullen said the contractor was aware that the work needs to be done expeditiously and that payment will not be released until the prior work is corrected.

John Mesher, a member of the Bear Trap homeowners’ association’s board of directors, thanked McMullen and the council for working so quickly to correct the problem.

“We’re very satisfied, as a board, by the reaction we got,” he said.

• Vogel reported that Ocean View display of the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit “The Way We Worked” was the most successful in the entire state of Delaware.

“Attendance in Ocean View equaled the total combined attendance of all the other three venues it was held in,” she said. “Since the event was so successful and a very enjoyable experience to collaborate with the other towns, we plan to meet again in September to plan another project our towns can work together on.”

• The council voted 3-0 to approve the new Mediacom franchise agreement. The seven-year agreement establishes customer service standards, free services available to community facilities, and educational and government channel availability, as well as reporting requirements for Mediacom.

• A Concert in the Park will be held on Friday, Aug. 16, at 6 pm., with Buddy Holly tribute band “Oh, Boy!” performing in John West Park.

Delaware beaches ranked No. 1 in water quality again

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Delaware has always been the First State, and its beaches come in first, too. In addition to having top water quality conditions, Delaware’s own Rehoboth and Dewey beaches were recently again named superstar beaches for 2012 by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the non-partisan international environmental group that annually assesses all beaches in 30 coastal states.

The NRDC Annual Beach Report, “A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,” revealed that, in 2012, Delaware took 559 water samples at 24 sites, a step up from 401 samples the year before.

Rehoboth Beach had Delaware’s only water quality advisory day in 2012. The advisory lasted 24 hours or less and was probably the result of very heavy rain, according to the report. It returned to normal by the next reading.

“What does happen, after a very, very heavy rainfall, there can be an increased chance that runoff can come from land [into the ocean],” said Michael Bott, environmental scientist for the Division of Watershed Stewardship. The jump in readings came from an unknown source, so anything from pollution to animal waste could cause it.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control aims to protect the health of swimmers through the Recreational Water Program. Water samples are collected from May to September near guarded recreational beaches, to identify all actual and potential sources of pollution. Water samples are analyzed to determine the levels of Enterococci bacteria in recreational waters. Enterococcus is one of several indicator organisms that signal the presence of potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.

“The indicator bacteria can be from gulls or any warm-blooded animal,” Bott said.

The 2012 results were also an improvement from 2011, which featured six closing/advisory days. Unknown contamination sources had caused two days of advisories each at the Delaware Bay shorelines of Broadkill Beach, Prime Hook and Slaughter Beach.

In 2010, stormwater runoff and other unknown sources caused 86 beach closure/advisory days.

A permanent caution regarding swimming in the Inland Bays remains in place. The Inland Bays suffer from nutrient pollution from failing septic systems, fertilizers and other sources. Water in the bays is slow to flush out, so pollutants linger in the Indian River Bay, Rehoboth Bay and Little Assawoman Bay.

For current information about swimming advisories, call the free, 24-hour “Beach Hotline” at 1 (800) 922-WAVE or visit http://apps.dnrec.state.de.us/RecWater to join the email notification list.

In accordance with its geography, Delaware is on the smaller side of sampling. Massachusetts tests a whopping 601 beaches, and Michigan took more than 13,000 samples. The Great Lakes had the highest exceedance rate (10 percent), compared to the Delmarva region at 3 percent.

The report noted that some states have higher exceedance rates because they’re playing it safe. They might immediately post beach advisories before awaiting a second opinion on a high reading, or they test more frequently near suspected pollution sources.

Nationwide, the NRDC report found a total of 20,120 days were marred by beach closings and advisories (which lasted six consecutive weeks or less). That is a 14 percent decrease from 2011, likely caused by the drier beach season in much of the continental U.S. and Hawaii, according to the report.

More than 80 percent of all closings and advisories were due to bacteria levels in beach water exceeding public health standards, usually indicating the presence of human or animal waste in the water. The national exceedance rate has fluctuated between 7 and 8 percent each year since NRDC began tracing data in 2005.

The largest known source of pollution was stormwater runoff, which was blamed for 28 percent of closing/advisory days, although 63 percent of closings were attributed to unknown sources of pollution. Another 10 percent were attributed to sewage spills and overflows.

NRDC was unsatisfied with EPA’s new beach water standards and encourages incentives for cities to implement green infrastructure. Green roofs, porous pavement, rain gardens and street plantings can prevent the estimated 10 trillion gallons of untreated rainwater that flush toxins into drains leading to the ocean.

The EPA estimated that up to 3.5 million people became ill from contact with raw sewage from sanitary sewer overflows each year, which can lead to everything from stomach flu or pinkeye to respiratory infections or meningitis, especially for children who dive under the waves and swallow more water.

NRDC issued star ratings to 200 popular beaches around the country. The star system recognizes popular beaches for exceptionally low violation rates and strong testing and safety practices. Criteria include testing more than once a week, notifying the public as soon as tests reveal bacterial levels violating health standards, and posting closings and advisories both online and at the beach. In 2012, 13 beaches received a five-star rating, including Rehoboth, Dewey and Ocean City, Md.

Maryland’s testing was more varied, ranging from monthly to twice weekly. In 2012 in Maryland, the beaches with the highest percent exceedance rates were located along the Chesapeake Bay, including Sandy Point State Park. Of the 10 Worcester County sites tested, five Ocean City sites had 4 percent exceedance rates but no closures/advisories.

Delaware attracts more than 7 million visitors each year, many of them beach-bound. According to the Delaware Sea Grant College Program at the University of Delaware, the state’s coastal economy generates $6.9 billion annually, including $711 million in tax revenue, and supports 59,000 jobs. That’s more than 10 percent of the state’s total employment, taxes and business production.

After Hurricane Sandy washed away much of the beach sand in 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently received $30 million in federal funding to replenish Delaware beaches.

“Protecting our beautiful coastline is about more than just pumping sand onto the beach; it’s about pumping money into the economy, keeping our beaches healthy, and protecting buildings and infrastructure from coastal storms,” said Sen. Chris Coons in a DNREC statement. “I am proud to live in a state ranked No. 1 for beach water quality, and I am pleased the Congressional delegation secured funding for beach renourishment through the federal Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010.”

“Delaware is emerging as the most pristine beach destination in the nation,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “By serving as stewards of our treasured natural resources, we can protect this advantage for years to come.”

Visit www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw to read the entire water quality report.

Fenwick beach replenishment work to begin as soon as next week

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Fenwick Island officials were told this week that work on the planned beach replenishment project being coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin there as soon as late this coming week or perhaps the following week and will likely take three to four weeks. A specific start date and location was still not available, but officials said recently that they hope the resulting beach closures and inconvenience to beachgoers can be minimized.

No details on when the replenishment might start in other Delaware beach towns were announced this week.

Councilman Bill Weistling Jr., at the Fenwick Island Town Council’s June 28 meeting, had noted that contractors on the job had already come into the town and touched base with officials there about the preliminary work on the project.

Town Manager Merritt Burke said the preliminary work was a survey company that had already gotten anchored off the coast.

Councilman Gardner Bunting noted that beachgoers had seen the anchor being set near Cannon Street on June 23. “It was quite a show,” he said.

“It’s a waiting game,” Bunting added, saying he hoped to get some news soon on the timetable for the project and hoped the Town could control how much of the beach the contractors would close on any given day, if cooperation from the contractor was as good as in the most recent replenishment project.

Burke said he was continuing to pursue a more specific timetable for the work and would get that information to the community as soon as he could, likely via Facebook or Twitter first and then on the Town website and a posting at town hall. The Town used the social media outlets this week to announce the late-July start date and then update the community with the new information that the work could start as soon as late the following week.

Resident Lynn Andrews noted at the June 28 meeting that she felt Public Works Supervisor Bryan Reed deserved to “be patted on the back for all he’s gone through” with the mobility-enhancing Mobi Mats at the dune crossings.

Bunting noted that the mats are expected to “be moved back and forth all summer,” due to the replenishment project and other work being done by DNREC.

Financial picture looking up

The Town is also coming into the final stretch of its budget process for the 2014 fiscal year. Bunting said he expected the Town to finish the 2013 fiscal year within the parameters of the budget, on the positive side, “maybe not by a lot, but it will be close,” he said, noting that some departments were a little under-budget and others a little over.

Burke said he had met with the Town’s department heads to make sure they were within their budgets and to identify any savings they could find. He said he was confident the Town would come in under-budget for the 2013 fiscal year.

One reason for that is that the Town’s building permit fee revenue has already come in $26,000 more than budgeted.

“It proves the local economy is coming back,” he said. “We’re seeing business pick up in town, especially with residential renovations.”

The Town has also received $191,000 in transfer tax revenues thus far in the fiscal year, with Burke saying he expected to top $200,000 by the end of the fiscal year. He said transfer tax revenues had averaged around that number in the last few years. The Town has also exceeded its budgeted revenue for building permits for the year.

One of the Town’s own renovation projects is also nearing its finish, with the rain garden partially installed in the new Cannon Street Park, delayed somewhat by the recent deluge of rain and awaiting the installation of the final plants, which were being stored on the basketball court in the meantime. Burke said he recognized that was inconveniencing those hoping to use the court but that he expected to get the plants in once it stopped raining.

Installation of an ADA-accessible dock, staging area and parking are to follow. Burke said he hoped to have the park completed by Labor Day.

Burke also said the town hall sidewalk project was also going to be going out to bid for fall construction, with funds likely coming out of Municipal Street Aid funding, which Burke said had been increased in the budget bill passed by state legislators last month. He said the Town would be requesting some funding from the State to pay for the sidewalk project.

He also told council members on June 28 that the Town had received the full amount of American Lung Association grants for its smoking ban enforcement efforts, along with preliminary approval for a 50/50 match grant for a drainage study and a Homeland Security grant for construction of concrete pads at town hall to support fuel tanks.

Andrews told the council she was concerned about the budget — particularly the police department’s take-home patrol cars, which are a common but increasingly less common perk enjoyed by local officers but which Andrews said seemed to her “like a fringe benefit they shouldn’t have.”

Weistling acknowledged that the suggestion had been made to take away that benefit and that he had initially been opposed to take-home cars.

“But then I thought, if we were taking it back, it had been a benefit they had had,” he explained, adding that he had also considered the notion of compensating the officers for the cost of their commute, in lieu of providing the take-home cars. “But, after hearing from the chief on this policy, I have to agree with him,” Weistling said.

Councilwoman Diane Tingle noted that the benefit is one many other local police departments offer to their officers and one she felt Fenwick couldn’t afford to take away.

“Do we want to constantly have new officers that we have to pay to send to the academy?” she asked rhetorically, noting that such benefits may be the difference between retaining an experienced officer and losing that officer to a town or other police force that offers the take-home-car benefit.

Andrews said that, “In this day and age, people are losing their benefits left and right.” She said she felt the police chief should keep his take-home car, “But I think we have to look at that.”

Police Chief William Boyden announced at the June 28 meeting the hiring of a new officer, Carl Curten, who replaces another officer. Boyden said Curten has 10 years of police experience, having served as a deputy sheriff in Wicomico County, Md., and having also served previously as a handler for a canine officer.

“He’s very professional, very courteous,” Boyden said of Curten, whom he noted can often be found out on bicycle patrol in the early morning. “We were very fortunate to get him.”

Boyden also said he was making plans to hold an open house for the police department and new town park, tentatively on Sept. 14, offering information on emergency preparedness and other town services, as well as a State representative who would offer information on bicycle and pedestrian safety.

“It’s been a very bad month in Sussex County for pedestrian and bike accidents,” Boyden said. “We were very lucky there was nothing in town limits,” he added, noting that there had been two fatalities right outside town limits, as well as a near-fatality. “They were all attributed to pedestrians not following the rules and walking out in front of vehicles,” he emphasized, reminding people to cross the roads at crosswalks and at traffic lights, and, at night, to wear bright clothing.

“When you go up against a car or truck, they win,” he said.

Boyden also noted a recent increase in petty theft, which he said had mostly been from vehicles that had been left unlocked, with items in plain view. He said, however, that when a visitor from New York had had their credit cards and wallet stolen, police had been able to track down the thief and make an arrest within six hours.

Lifeguard Capt. Tim Ferry said the FIBP’s junior lifeguard program had “really taken off once again this year,” with 26 participants in the group that works on lifeguarding skills during most of the summer. Those who have participated once can move on to the advanced class, which Ferry said he expected to have 40 to 50 additional participants.

The lifeguards themselves are also chalking up the experience this year, Ferry said, with only seven of 30 guards being rookies. “We have a great crew out there,” he added.

Town seeing positive results on smoking ban, water quality

Reporting on behalf of the Environmental Committee, resident Buzz Henifin said the group had conducted their first “butt count” two weeks prior, as a measure of the success of the smoking ban on the town beaches and in its parks. He said cigarette butts had been found in all but one of the new receptacles, though one had turned up missing and another had been broken. He said the counts would continue.

Henifin also reported positive results in recent water quality reports in the town’s sections of the Little Assawoman Bay.

“In years past, we were well up in to the hundreds of units. A measurement of 104 is the cutoff for swimming, and the last two reports were under 100. The Wednesday report was 10,” he emphasized, to a chorus of “wows” from those in attendance at the meeting. “Something’s improving, but we’re not sure what,” he added.

Weistling also reported on a recent meeting with a technology expert on improving technology use in the town. Burke said the speaker had talked about scanning town documents, cloud computing, use of tablet computers and social media, and updating the town web site. Tingle said they had also discussed having learning sessions for the community in the future, such as sessions on how to access social networking sites, and about getting the online community active with the town.

Lord Baltimore reunion to include junior high

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As the only school option for local coastal-area students until 1968, Lord Baltimore School holds a special place in many hearts. To celebrate their heritage 45 years later, the high school and junior-high alumni are being welcomed to gather for an LB reunion — only the fifth of its kind.

The September event expanded this year to include junior-high students, many of whom actually graduated from Indian River High School after the 1968 consolidation of the schoolhouses.

Lord Baltimore School educated children from first grade to 12th grade. In 1998, LB alumnus Vernon McCabe, started a tradition of gathering graduates, former teachers and staff for an occasional reunion. He passed the torch to new organizers Glenn Timmons (class of ’68) and his brother, Richard Timmons Jr. (class of ’65).

“Lord Baltimore is a small school. When you went to school … a 40-person class was a large class,” said Glenn Timmons. “You kind of knew everybody in upper and lower grades. You rode the school bus with them and saw them in cafeteria.”

Back then, an eagle was the school mascot, and the school colors were green and white.

The Lord Baltimore gathering and dinner will be held at the Georgetown Cheer Center on Saturday, Sept. 21. The cost is $29 per person, and reservations are required.

At dinner, guests can dine at round tables with their classmates, mingle and see “people who you haven’t seen in a long time,” Timmons said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The deadline to RSVP is Wednesday, July 31. People who have not received a written invitation and would like to make a reservation or get more information can call Glenn Timmons at (302) 539-3099 or Richard Timmons Jr. at (302) 379-0738, or send an email to LBGathering@outlook.com.

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