Coastal Point • Laura Walter : Rob Arlett, candidate for the District 5 Sussex County Council seat, speaks to constituents at his campaign launch on Tuesday, July 22, at the Clayton Theatre.

Frankford resident Rob Arlett jumped on the road to the Republican primary election as he launched his campaign for the District 5 Sussex County Council seat on July 22 at the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro.

Just coming from another kickoff event in Laurel, Arlett introduced his wife, one of his two sons and his father to a crowd of supporters. Emphasizing his love of family and faith, the owner of Beach Bound Realty became an ordained minister in order to marry his niece to her fiancé.

“We love Sussex County. It’s a great place to raise a family, worship and have a business.”

Going up against 16-year incumbent Vance Phillips, whom Arlett never mentioned by name, the challenger said, “It’s not about the opponent, but about the people.”

“Public politics is a dirty word. My job, my responsibility, is to make it a positive thing. We need better people involved,” he said. “We need more good people involved in the process. The campaign is not about ‘Rob,’ it’s about you.”

“We know the rest of the state is all fouled up. I gotta make sure that doesn’t happen to Sussex County,” he said, emphasizing small government and keeping “government as far away from the people as possible.”

He said he hopes to “preserve the past and plan for the future,” describing the disheartening lack of opportunity for young people.

Not only, Arlett said, do many young people move away for college and careers, including his older son, but the entirety of west Sussex County is still suffering from “deteriorating property values,” especially since the DuPont company closed years ago. He aims, he said, for an “economic re-birth.”

Part of that future means using the expertise currently retiring on Delmarva. Although he doesn’t see that as a job for the government, he proposes a county-wide mentoring program. He turned to a man in the audience who worked on Wall Street for years before moving to Delaware.

“I guarantee there are a lot of youth that want to know what he knows,” Arlett said, and plenty of retirees who want to use their expertise to improve their new homes.

He also said western Sussex schools are suffering, in part because of Sussex Technical High School. Although he believes in competition, he said, he also believes the playing field needs to be leveled by making that school go to public referendum for additional funding, rather than just getting the state legislature’s approval.

As for the code of ethics discussion that has followed this local election cycle, he called for a Sussex County code — not just following in the default footsteps of the State.

He thanked his family and volunteers, encouraging people to get involved, whether they live in the 5th District or not.

Current District 4 Councilman George Cole was present to support Arlett’s candidacy.

“We do zoning. We make decisions that can ruin your neighborhood,” Cole said, adding that that’s why he felt it important to get someone like Arlett on the council.

Those who are interested in learning more about Arlett can visit www.robarlett.com. Arlett may be reached at (302) 462-5746 or at rob@robarlett.com.

Despite recent discussion of the idea, the Sussex County Council may decide not to create its own code of ethics, following a presentation by the Delaware Public Integrity Commission’s (PIC’s) legal counsel.

Attorney Deborah Moreau told council members this week that the Delaware Code states that a county or municipality may have their own code of ethics; however, it must be “at least as stringent” as the State’s and must be first approved by the State Ethics Commission.

“Our basic jurisdiction extends over the Code of Conduct, which regulates the behavior of State and municipal and county employees under our jurisdiction,” she noted.

Currently, Moreau said, only eight municipalities within the state have adopted their own code, beyond that of the State: Delaware City, Lewes, Millsboro, Newark, Dover, Wilmington, Smyrna and New Castle County.

“Dewey Beach has had their proposed Code of Ethics approved by the Public Integrity Commission but have not yet adopted it. Until they do, they will remain under our jurisdiction.”

Moreau pointed out that, although Kent County has what they refer to as a “code of ethics,” it was adopted in 1989, prior to the formation of PIC. She said that the Kent code was grandfathered in and is less stringent than the State’s code.

“It is much less strict than the State, and if it were reviewed today, it would not pass.”

Again, she stated that, if a town, city or county does not have their own code, they will fall under the code created by the State.

“Some municipalities want a little more autonomy — I think that’s why they go ahead and form their own boards,” Moreau said.

Moreau said the PIC has seven members representing the state’s three counties.

“None of them work for the State. They work for private employers or are retired,” she explained. “You don’t want State employees reviewing State employees. You want that level of independence.”

Each board member is paid $100 per meeting, and the PIC typically only convenes once a month.

She stated that, typically, PIC proceedings are private; however, brief synopses of the hearings and outcomes, with identifying information removed, are available.

“So you can see the issue, but you don’t know who the people are.”

Councilman Vance Phillips asked if the State’s code has a dollar amount associated with gifts given.

“The State code does not,” Moreau explained. “It comes down to whether or not it would affect their judgment. The commission has even denied lunches.”

“It sounds like a lot of this comes down to whether or not the person is going to be influenced by the action,” said Phillips.

“Yes,” responded Moreau.

Councilman Sam Wilson asked if there would be any advantage for the County to create its own code, instead of continuing to fall under the State’s Code of Ethics.

“The advantage to having your own ethics board is that people who live in Sussex are familiar with the zoning issues, the issues that happen specifically in your county — not that our commission doesn’t educate themselves on an issue that comes up.”

That being said, Moreau added, a municipality or county having its own commission would be a lot of work.

“You have to make sure your commission is fully staffed. You have to make sure the people who are on the commission are independent enough to review the matters that come before them.”

Wilson said it might be in the people’s favor to stay with the State’s commission. He added that it would also cost the County money to go with its own code and commission.

Moreau said that the PIC’s annual operating budget, including personnel costs, is approximately $210,000.

“That would be a cost council would have to consider if we were to consider … our own Code of Ethics,” said Phillips.

“Is there anything in the code about public officials’ behavior in public, other than while working on the council that it represents?” asked Councilwoman Joan Deaver.

“There’s nothing specific about it. That would probably fall under the appearance of impropriety,” Moreau said, noting that it’s tied more to conflict of interest rather than personal behavior.

Deaver asked, if a complaint was filed, who would represent the party being investigated. Moreau said that the State would provide an attorney for the party, which would be paid for by the State.

The council agreed on Tuesday to have select County department heads attend a three-hour ethics training seminar with the council, which will be open to the public.

“I don’t think we have a major issue, personally. I think what you people do is great,” said Council President Michael Vincent.

South Bethany was built between bayside canals and the Atlantic, so it could use some protection from high water. And, recently, the South Bethany Town Council has poured hours into creating an ordinance that would allow homeowners to raise their houses a few feet, without trapping them under the current height limit.

“Our intent is to permit people to have higher houses, in order to accommodate additional freeboard. That is the difference between the base floodplain elevation to the base of the house,” said Councilman Jim Gross at the July 11 council meeting and first reading of the proposed ordinance.

“Currently, the building code requires the permissible height for houses to be 32 feet above the center of the road. We want to raise that so that people voluntarily … can build or raise their house to accommodate 2 additional feet of freeboard above the height requirement.”

“Where the principal building has 2 or more feet of freeboard above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), the principal building maximum height may be the higher of 34 feet measured from center line of the street or 38 feet based on NAVD 88,” reads proposed Ordinance 172-14, which changes Town Code Chapter 145, “Zoning,” Articles III, X and XI.

The draft also includes related definitions that the council said they felt comfortable with.

Resident Jack Whitney proposed an alternative: make all houses the same height. They would start at different points, the center road line or Base Flood Elevation (whichever is higher), and use freeboard if they want to. But regardless of the floor’s initial elevation, all houses would end 31 feet later.

Whitney said his goal was “to encourage use of freeboard without penalizing the homeowner for using freeboard.” Meanwhile, homes, he said, could be more equal. “Some places, you can build a higher house. … In some places, it has to be lower because of reference to the centerline of the road.

“I’m just trying to simplify it in this town, so everyone can understand what you should do.”

Councilman George Junkin said he liked the idea of just setting a 31-foot height limit (the distance between floor and roof, not the total elevation), because the original proposal would allow some houses to go higher, based on varying measurements and ground heights.

“I’m being consistent with allowing everyone to put in same size,” Junkin said. “It’s been brought up to us.”

But Gross argued in favor of leaving the language as written — language that has been deliberated upon for months.

“You cannot build three-story houses on all our lots with your recommendation,” Junkin said.

“I agree with that. You can’t do it now,” Gross pointed out.

Councilwoman Sue Callaway said she didn’t understand “why it can’t be either/or. Then it satisfies everybody.”

“I don’t believe that should be the way we go forward … because referencing it to the road is being done for a reason, and that’s to keep the houses so they’re varying some because the road’s varying. Referencing it to BFE is that all people have the same space to work in,” Junkin said.

“That’s never been an objective here. That’s not part of our code. That’s never been our history,” Gross said. “We’ve gone back to the workshop three times.”

“Maybe we need a fourth time,” Councilman Al Rae said. “You’re telling us we already require BFE. I agree with the 2 feet if they add 2 feet. I agree with giving them equal livable space. Seems to me those are the three main issues we need to get down on paper that we all agree on.”

Two more readings were planned for the ordinance, at the council workshop July 24 at 5 p.m., as well as before a vote and possible adoption at the council meeting on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.

The ordinance in its entirety can be reviewed at South Bethany Town Hall during regular business hours or online at www.southbethany.org under “Bulletin Board.”

A mostly lighthearted police report

South Bethany Police Department Lt. Linda O’Malley retired this July and was honored at a July 18 reception. Chief Joe Deloach has also retired, effective July 11. A celebration to honor him will be scheduled later this year, after a knee surgery.

A search for a new police chief was scheduled to begin mid-July. Mayor Pat Voveris, Town Manager Mel Cusick and Callaway are part of the search committee. Residents are welcome to “speak as a resident with satisfaction” to the job existing officers are doing.

Police Lt. Troy Crowson reported a number of recent crimes related to “June bugs,” vacationing students at the beach. That includes fights, smashed headlights and mailboxes, eggings and parties.

More troubling to some are the vacation home scams that have used South Bethany houses. Scammers find online photos of existing houses and post them on CraigsList.com as rental homes.

“They take the rent, then when [vacationers] show up, the homeowners say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’” Crowson explained.

This sort of scam is increasingly common, and the scammer gets away with money, while the vacationer is left without accommodation, and the true homeowner is baffled and discomforted.

Speed limits were the next topic of discussion on July 11. A rookie officer caught a speeder going 103 mph because the driver “courteously” tried to escape down a dead-end road, Crowson noted.

When asked how to eliminate speeding problems, Crowson said, “It always comes down to presence and enforcement… I’m looking into [speed measuring] trailers to record [data] and see if speeding is truly the problem.”

Meanwhile, a speed display machine is being re-positioned on various streets in South Bethany this summer.

Attendees at the meeting also discussed placing a pad in the highway median for police patrol cars to drive on, rather than tearing up the grass and plantings along Route 1.

In other South Bethany news:

• Cusick said he had researched why not everyone in town pays a $4 monthly fire hydrant fee (specifically, properties on well water).

“They’re not required to. There’s no customer relation,” he said, “Like having cable TV run by your house. … We have no database on how many private wells there are,” Cusick noted.

Assuming that, of 1,300 homes, less than 100 don’t receive water service, Councilman Tony Caputo said it might not be worth pursuing.

“So what we’re really talking about is less than 1,000 bucks. So who’s gonna set up a system to go collect? It’s not a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of practicality.”

• The South Bethany Beach Patrol earned second place at the Sea Colony lifeguard competition recently, and there were also recent rescues of a girl swept out to sea on a bodyboard and a young man who injured his shoulder.

• Martha Fields was named the new head of the Board of Adjustment.

• The South Bethany Property Owners Association bull roast raised $150 for the Community Enhancement Committee.

• The council is already talking about next year’s movie on the beach, after a successful showing of “Frozen” on July 5. Mayor Pat Voveris thanked absolutely everyone involved.

The South Bethany Town Council was set to meet for a workshop on Thursday, July 24, at 5 p.m.

Sussex County residents will have to wait until at least next week before hearing whether the County will grant conditional use for part of a farm in Harbeson for an outdoor country music festival.

Dewey Beach businessman Alex Pires spoke to the Sussex County Council on July 22 during a three-hour public hearing for the conditional-use application, which requests permission to use 500 acres of farmland in an AR-1 agricultural residential district zone on Hollyville Road, owned by the Baker family, for a facility for outdoor entertainment events with temporary camping facilities.

“We’ve done a lot of research on the music festival business. The music business itself is an enormous industry,” Pires said, noting that he had spent two years looking at sites before finding the Baker Farm.

“They have what I believe is the largest contiguous farm in Delaware, and they have enough land that we could use,” he said.

Pires said the country music festival would be “very low impact” and encourage people to camp throughout the multi-day event, rather than coming and going from the site each day.

“These country festival events are camping events. There are very, very, very few people who come for the day and leave. People come, stay the three days and then leave.”

Pires said the traffic impact to the site — for which preliminary drawings show two entrances to the property for the festivals — would be minimal.

“We expect 5,000 campers to go in once and leave once. That’s 10,000 trips. We expect a maximum of 2,000 cars — I think it’ll be 1,000 cars to come in once a day. Times three days, that’s 12,000 trips. Just to give you an idea of the impact of the travel, there are as many cars as that just in one day on Route 9. It averages 18,000 trips per day.”

Pires said he hopes to have two festivals back-to-back in early August 2015, to be followed up by three one-day charity events, such as the Color Run. The other 11 months of the year the site would be empty, he said.

“The trend is to have back-to-back festivals. These are very expensive events,” he said, noting that the $5 to $6 million festivals could have up to a $2 million impact on the county’s economy. “This is a job-producer. The fencing alone will take three or four companies,” he said.

Pires said that food and beverage purveyors at the events would be predominantly from Delaware, adding to the potential boost to the area’s economy.

“I prefer giving business to people who live in the community where I live,” he said.

Ideally, Pires said, the festival would draw approximately 20,000 people to the area.

“It’s not a lot of people,” said Pires, noting that University of Delaware football games and Punkin Chunkin draw greater crowds. He also stated that, in the first year of Delaware’s Firefly music festival, 40,000 people converged on that event’s 150 acres.

For those who are concerned about security, Pires said that a professional security company would be hired to maintain the events and would work closely with the Delaware State Police. Medical services would also be on-site for every event at the venue.

The area used for the festival would be temporarily fenced-in during the festivities, with the fencing removed afterward and the entire site to be cleaned up within two days after the event’s conclusion. The festival would end each night by 11:30 p.m., he said, with the venue going dark by midnight.

“The location of staging and facilities is all done by professionals… I don’t have that kind of expertise.”

Pires said that a Harrington venue would be his Plan B; however, there are only 190 acres available, as opposed to the Baker Farm’s 500 acres.

Mark Baker, whose family has owned the farm for approximately 12 years, spoke on behalf of the application.

“We did not take the decision lightly to enter into this agreement… It was only after very careful consideration and a lot of internal discussion that we decided to do it,” he said, adding that in the property’s lease, the family retains right to use the property for recreational use. “We have very high standards for how the property is maintained… We pass those high standards on to our tenant. We have the same mutual interest in that regard.”

Baker said he attended Firefly this year as a day-tripper and did not find traffic to be an issue and hopes the County will approve the festival in Harbeson.

“We would not have done this if we didn’t think this was a positive for Sussex County,” he said. “It’s going to take some vision and leadership on the part of the county council.”

County Councilman George Cole asked Baker if the soil on the farm would be appropriate for parking cars and RVs. Baker said that there are areas of the parcel he would not have vehicles park but that there would still be ample areas to park vehicles for the festivals.

Cole asked Pires if he would consider changing the time of the year for the festivals.

“We really don’t need to attract too many people to the beach area in the summertime because we’ve already got quite a few people in August… where most small-businesspeople are concerned about the offseason,” he said. “Could you see this happening in the offseason or the shoulder season?”

“The country music business is a June, July, August touring business. They want the younger children, and they want the families. They can’t get the mom when the kids are in school, and they can’t get the dad without the mom,” said Pires.

“My concern is we’ve got so many people here already — to put a festival in August would bring additional traffic,” responded Cole.

More than 100 residents attended the public hearing on the application, with more than half a dozen speaking in opposition.

“I am going to be looking at a stage,” said Trudy Belotti, who said she lives 30 feet from the Baker Farm.

Belotti said that, if the conditional use were to be granted, not only could a music festival take place on the parcel, but so could a circus.

“Now you’re talking about animals — you’re talking about something different than a music festival,” she said. “It’s such a shame to take a beautiful residential area and turn it into a circus.”

William Nelson, the president of Avalon Woods homeowners association told the council his development is 540 feet from the proposed entrance for the camping area of the site.

“We’re extremely concerned about our community being deadlocked and locked into place. That’s exactly what would happen. We would not be able to get in or out of our community for the days specified by the applicant,” he said, adding that security was also a concern for the approximately 250 fulltime residents. “What’s to prevent someone from getting into our community? That fence isn’t going to do it. Do we need to hire our own security?”

Millsboro resident Beverly Morgan asked that the County consider the noise that would accompany such music festivals.

“Music is music, as long as it remains reasonable to our ear,” she said. “When we speak, [the decibel level] is 50 to 60. Once we get to 85, there becomes a risk of damage to our ears… That’s when it becomes noise pollution.”

Morgan said noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise caused by humans that may harm the health or welfare of humans or animals.

“Decibels of concerts outside, such as that Mr. Pires is proposing, go from 110 — the softest level — to 130. Eighty-five is damage; 130 will carry quite an impact,” she said. “I would ask you to consider, this being a family event… will I bring my young children to this 130-decibel concert for their young ears to be damaged?”

Mike Falkenstein, a resident of Avalon Woods, said that he is concerned that the festivals would not only draw families to the residential area but less desirable attendees.

“The applicant has mentioned maybe the Cleavers, and Ozzie and Harriet, are going to come, but for the most part we’ll have a bunch of drunken, drug-addled [attendees],” he said. “I request you deny this application.”

County Planning & Zoning Director Lawrence Lank told the council that, in the public hearing planning process, the County received five letters in support of the application, and 51 letters and emails, and 462 signatures in a petition in opposition to the application.

Michael Rivera of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) said that officials have had one meeting with Pires to review the application.

“In theory, we can manage that if we have to,” he said of the potential traffic. “We have some of the same concerns that have been addressed here today. Pending approval from the council, if it’s our job to manage it, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Rivera said that for such events, DelDOT works with the organizer, Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control to develop a traffic control plan.

Councilman Vance Phillips asked if DelDOT was satisfied with the number of entrances presented.

“We’d have to examine that further,” Rivera said.

Phillips asked if DelDOT has the authority to require more entrances, if they find the number to be insufficient.

“The authority? That’s a slippery slope. Once they’re on private property, it becomes a little harder for us to dictate their moves.”

The council voted unanimously to defer their decision until they receive a recommendation from Planning & Zoning and hear a more detailed report from DelDOT as to what they would ideally like to see for the site in terms of traffic. The presentation from DelDOT was expected at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

Drivers and business owners may get some relief on Route 26, as lane closures will now begin later each evening, although work on Sunday nights has been added. The project’s Construction Management Team tweaked the hours this week to improve travel but also give contractor George & Lynch the time it needs.

“We’ve still got a month and a half of summer left. We decided that we could make some adjustments and ease some of the stress,” on-site public outreach coordinator Ken Cimino said this week.

One lane of Route 26 is required to remain open while night work takes place, but beginning Sunday, July 20, construction crews are permitted to close lanes of Route 26 from 10:30 p.m. Sunday night to 7 a.m. on Monday morning. That will continue as long as there are “no adverse impacts to the traveling public, resulting in excessive delays and wait times,” according to this week’s Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announcement.

Meanwhile, weekday lane closures will be pushed back one hour, lasting from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday night to Friday morning.

Construction inspection staff have closely monitored traffic delays since nighttime lane closures began May 21, officials emphasized.

“On numerous occasions throughout the first half of the ‘on-peak’ season, traffic queues with clearance times in excess of one hour have been observed,” DelDOT officials acknowledged. Businesses and customers have been frustrated — especially those with dinner orders to be picked up at 7 p.m. or later.

Cimino said the goal of the changes is to “increase mobility so people can go out before the hour of 8 and spend money in the restaurants and businesses.” He said he’s heard positive feedback about the schedule change.

The new schedule is also subject to change when school begins again Sept. 2. Lane closures can’t hold up school buses. However, night work will continue, because daytime lane closures are prohibited May 15 to Sept. 30, although other daytime construction activities may continue.

No project is perfect, and this one began with one of the coldest, wettest winters Sussex County has seen in many years. Since beginning in January, the 901-day project has fallen behind its schedule by 29 days.

“It is slightly behind schedule. DelDOT’s hopeful productivity will continue throughout … fall,” Cimino said. “And with addition of Sunday evening, time that’s been lost can be recouped.”

Some good weather could hold the completion date, two years from now, steady.

“We continue to utilize every available day to progress this job to the end date of summer 2016,” Cimino said.

Residents and businesses are being encouraged to contact Cimino anytime with questions or concerns, at (302) 616-2621 or Kenneth.cimino@aecom.com or 17 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 2, in Ocean View.

Construction zones are scattered throughout the four-plus-mile project, with drainage work in Ocean View, stormwater management ponds in Clarksville and Millville, and construction near Millville Town Hall and east of the Millville Town Center.

Students in Millville are about to benefit from a national backpack giveaway, coming to Millville on Aug. 2. The Cellular Connection, a Verizon Premium Wireless retailer, located in the Millville Town Center, is one of 300 stores participating in the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.

It’s the shop’s customers who helped make it possible. Nationwide, people could round their purchase to the nearest dollar to help purchase supplies.

Now, the Cellular Connection will have somewhere between 75 and 300 backpacks full of pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders, glue and more.

Parents and children can pick up a free backpack, no purchase required, from noon to 2 p.m.

Children in all grades are eligible. The school supplies giveaway is first-come, first-served. Leftover backpacks will be donated to local schools.

“We just want to help the community out, people that’s less fortunate … help out around the community,” said local wireless consultant Amber Broughton.

“It was very exciting for me. I know what it is to be able to donate something … and change a life,” Broughton said, remembering last year’s drive. “They were really excited, very appreciative.”

Last year, the company donated 60,000 backpacks nationwide. This year, that number increased to 100,000.

“The backpack giveaway is a huge part of TCC’s ‘Culture of Good’ movement that’s all about making a positive impact on employees while benefitting the world,” said Scott Moorehead, president and CEO of TCC. “It’s how our company gives back to every community where we do business, and it involves every employee at every level. We’re honored to have the ability to give back to those who need it.”

For more information, call the store at (302) 537-8500. The local participating store is located at 224 Atlantic Avenue.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter : Firefighters work on a fire at two chicken houses in Frankford on Saturday, July 26.Three explosions ripped through a sunny Frankford afternoon on Saturday, July 26. Fortunately, the horrific sounds, which came with a massive plume of smoke that spread over the small town around noon, only indicated that two chicken houses behind Mountaire’s grain facility were on fire.

There were no injuries — human or chicken — in the chicken houses, which were mostly used for storage, officials said.

The Frankford, Dagsboro, Roxana and Selbyville volunteer fire companies responded to the incident around noon, but they quickly had the situation under control, said Frankford Assistant Chief John Wright.

The Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control was called out to investigate tanks adjacent to the chicken houses, but nothing hazardous was found in several 55-gallon drums and several above-ground plastic storage tanks.

DNREC’s Michael Globetti called it “an old chicken house that was used for storage and some experimental chicken-feed mixing.”

Mountaire did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

A soft, persistent rain covered the ground as the firefighters cleaned up and went home.

Attorney General Beau Biden announced this week that separate undercover online investigations by the Delaware Child Predator Task Force had led to the arrest of two men who traveled to Dover-area locations allegedly to have sex with children. One of the men resides in Dagsboro.

“The Child Predator Task Force is working to weed out the most dangerous predators — those who seek to sexually assault our children,” Biden said. “Thanks to legislation enacted this year which strengthens penalties against predators who travel to meet their victims, we’re in an even stronger position to take them off the streets for longer periods of time, where they can no longer hurt kids.”

In the first case, 49-year-old Steve A. Moore of Dagsboro responded to the profile of a 13-year-old female on an online social dating site, according to the AG’s Office. During communications with a Task Force detective who was posing as the girl, Moore allegedly indicated in explicit terms that he wanted to meet to have sex with the girl.

Ultimately, a location, date and time was set to meet. Moore was subsequently arrested by the Child Predator Task Force and Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team on July 22, when he arrived at the agreed upon time at Tidbury Park, on South State Street in Dover.

Moore was taken to DSP Troop 3 for further investigation, and a search warrant was executed at his residence, during which detectives seized two cell phones. Based on the investigation, Moore was charged with one count of Sexual Solicitation of a Child Under 18 and four counts of Obscenity. He was arraigned via videophone by JP Court 2 and was taken to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for lack of $70,000 secured bail.

The investigation, including the forensic examination of the cell phones seized during the search of Moore’s home, was ongoing this week.

In the second case, 51-year-old Mark A. Cavill of Bloomingdale, N.J., allegedly responded to the profile of a 14-year-old female on an online social dating site. During multiple communications with a Task Force detective who was posing as the girl, Cavill allegedly indicated that he wanted to meet to have sex with the girl, and a location and a date and time were set to meet.

On Friday, July 18, the Child Predator Task Force and Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team arrested Cavill when he arrived as agreed at a fast food restaurant on North Dupont Highway in Dover.

As a result of the investigation, Cavill was charged with one count of Sexual Solicitation of a Child Under 18. He was arraigned via videophone at JP Court 2 and was taken to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for lack of $25,000 cash bail. On the day of his arrest, investigators obtained a search warrant for his cell phone and a forensic examination of the device was ongoing this week.

The two arrests are the first arrests made under the strengthened penalties established by House Bill 256, which was sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan (D-Brandywine) and Sen. Harris McDowell (D-Wilmington), passed unanimously in the General Assembly, and signed into law last month.

The legislation makes it clear that a sexual predator would be guilty of sexual solicitation of a child online whether the individual is soliciting an actual child or an undercover investigator whom the predator believes to be a child, and it elevates the offense from a Class C to a Class B felony in cases in which the predator actually travels to meet the individual he is soliciting online, whether the subject is a child or an undercover investigator.

Peninsula Regional Medical Center and Bayhealth have met in the middle to announce a new partnership across the peninsula. HealthPartners Delmarva looks to find new ways of reaching into the community as public health changes in the 21st century. The move is not a merger, nor is it facility-based. No new hospitals will be springing up.

PRMCs President/CEO Peggy Naleppa emphasized at the joint announcement this week how like-minded the two organizations are, and that they don’t step on each other’s toes, in terms of geography (PRMC is based in Salisbury, Md., and Bayhealth has Kent County and Milford locations.) So it made sense to share best practices and other training or information to improve both systems, she said.

The “triple aim” is to provide people with the best care in the best setting with the best cost, she emphasized.

There was no influx of money from one system to the other, she said, and all costs and representation in the new LLC are being split 50/50.

In the near term, they’ll create a team to define the partnership, and in the long term, they’ll brainstorm on how to leverage their buying power.

It’s a general description, Bayhealth president/CEO Terry Murphy admitted, “But we are right at the beginning … as we develop what HealthPartners Delmarva is to become.”

The average patient probably won’t see any impacts right now, but the team is working to engage patients more in managing health better.

It’s too early to tell how this could impact employment at the hospitals, Murphy said, although he noted that programs such as the computerized coding of patient records could actually increase employment opportunities right now.

The new LLC does not affect PRMC’s new facilities in Millsboro or in Berlin, Md., or the renovations and additions for Bayhealth.

When asked if this is an attempt to snag Sussex County patients, Naleppa said PRMC already has a patient base locally.

“We’re establishing what each of us truly believes is the future of healthcare on Delmarva,” Naleppa said.

Murphy thanked their boards for the “foresight to work together” to improve themselves and reduce health costs. “We can now share the ideas and innovations.”

It took some persuading, but the Indian River School District will now begin planning a new health curriculum. The district’s school board unanimously OK’d the purchase of a six-book HealthSmart program and formation of a committee to write the district’s new health curriculum.

Director of Curriculum LouAnn Hudson first broached the subject with the board in June, and discussion continued July 28, after the board had reviewed the proposed textbooks.

However, most of the July conversation ultimately regarded what is appropriate to teach children, although sex-ed will probably only be a day or two of class time.

For instance, there are workbooks about “Nutrition & Physical Activity” and “Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention.” Specifically, “HIV, STD and Pregnancy Prevention” elicited a more wary response from the board.

“I reviewed them. There’s some things that I would consider to be issues,” said Board President Charles Bireley.

“There’s still a matter of how to present human sexuality so it’s unified across the district,” Hudson said.

But human sexuality still must be taught, according to national guidelines.

“Is homosexuality included?” Board Member Shaun Fink had asked in June, when the board first considered the proposal.

“I don’t think it’s pushed,” Hudson had said. “That’s what we’re hoping to establish a committee for. We look at each lesson and see what we’re comfortable with in each lesson.”

Then parents have time to opt out of a lesson they don’t want their children learning.

“Otherwise, we have health teachers deciding on their own what they’re going to teach,” Superintendent Susan Bunting emphasized.

Currently, the district has no regular curriculum for health classes, which only last one semester at most for middle and high school students. That means teachers cobble together their own course of action, often based on training they’ve received.

Fink said he understood but was concerned that the district was jumping when someone said to “jump.”

The State of Delaware and the federal government require certain subjects be taught, including bullying prevention, as well as presenting information on teen dating violence and sexual assault. Even sexuality is included under Title 14, “But it is a pretty open-ended structure. That is where we really need a discussion,” Hudson said.

Such a committee could include teachers, principals, nurses, guidance counselors, law enforcement and board members. Fink expressed an interest in joining the group and asked who, if anyone, had mandated the particular textbooks.

The IRSD teachers had liked the curriculum, Hudson said. “This is the one the teachers came to consensus around.”

In addition to the pick-and-choose format of individual workbooks, teachers said they liked the academic system. They preferred these textbooks because they’re aligned to Common Core standards, plus provide reading and writing assignments to “help drive the learning home,” said Will Revels, previously supervisor of secondary instruction. Grading rubrics show students what expectations will be, and there are tips for teaching diverse learners.

Board Member James Fritz noted that most health textbooks are probably very similar. Bunting agreed, pointing out that teachers can easily remove one out of six workbooks if they don’t want to teach that material.

Plus, the whole program only costs $6,000, whereas traditional textbooks can cost $100 apiece.

The health committee will create and propose an aligned curriculum for all teachers, and the board will have final approval.

Festival Hispano will be held on Sunday, Aug. 10, noon to 6 p.m. at the Millsboro Little League Complex on State Street in Millsboro. El Centro Cultural will be celebrating the 20th year of Festival Hispano in Sussex County.

Festival Hispano is free and open to anyone who wants to celebrate Hispanic cultural heritage. The day includes music, folkloric dances, Mexican and Latin American food, information and services targeting the Hispanic community, and a special area dedicated exclusively to children’s entertainment and activities.

Festival Hispano is one of the many activities sponsored by the local non-profit arts organization known as El Centro Cultural. Formed in 1995 to provide more artistic, cultural and social programs, El Centro Cultural aims to discover and promote local Hispanic artists, support local arts education and coordinate local community events.

Anyone who would like to participate in Festival Hispano to promote their business, inform the community about their services and reach thousands of Hispanic residents from all over the Delmarva Peninsula should visit the website at www.elcentrocultural.org for applications and more information or email at festivalhispano@hotmail.com or call (302) 745-6828.

Bethany Beach’s newest park will have a natural, minimalistic design, if the recommendations of the town council are followed. The council on July 18 voted to focus the Town’s search for a landscape architect to design the project on the concept of a park primarily featuring walking and biking paths, benches and landscaping.

“It was curious,” said Councilman Joseph Healy Jr. of the results of the recent town survey on what citizens wanted to see in the park. “Everyone seemed to have one special thing they wanted, and that varied across the board. But the theme was ‘keep it simple stupid and don’t spend a lot of money.’

“Personally, I would love to see a water feature,” he added, “but only if there is some need,” such as for drainage, “and also benches and paths and a very pastoral setting.”

Councilman Lew Killmer agreed, saying the overall theme of the project as desired by the survey respondents was keeping the park “natural and low-impact,” as well as keeping in mind that the former Christian Church/Neff property is surrounded by residential property and that it is the “gateway to the town.”

Killmer suggested a “natural motif,” with walkways, low-impact lighting, “places for people to sit down and enjoy themselves — a nice alternative to the beach.”

He also recommended the Town view the park as a “work in progress — something that, over time, we can build on. I would like to see a lot more landscaping as time goes on. I would like to see it as a real showplace for our town,” he added, suggesting the final result should have a “wow-factor.” Killmer also referenced efforts to control costs on the project, looking at it as “something we can do in stages.”

Councilwoman Margaret Young said she, too, thought the park should have walking paths, benches and nice landscaping, but that the Town should also keep in mind not just the initial cost of building the park features but the cost of the park’s upkeep over time. She said it should be a “restful, attractive area.”

Councilman Chuck Peterson said he agreed with Killmer’s comments, and Councilwoman Rosemary Hardiman said she felt those ideas had “pretty much captured what people in the survey said: keep it natural, and don’t spend a lot of money. Don’t add a lot of additional and costly features that will require a great deal of upkeep and attract litter or people there all through the night.”

Hardiman said that she envisioned a park with benches, bike paths, shade trees and native plants, and recommended the Town give the survey results to the chosen architect so that the results can inform the eventual three concept designs the council has said they would request. “We can always add to it as time goes on,” she added.

“I’m sort of a minimalist to begin with,” chimed in Councilman Jerry Dorfman, saying the park should be “as natural as it can be. Having an open space as gateway to the town just adds to the allure of Bethany Beach.”

Mayor Jack Gordon gave a nod to the survey’s “outliers,” noting some requests for a community swimming pool or dog park as a feature of the property, but emphasized that the people requesting such features were less than 1 percent of those who responded to the survey.

“They made clear from the survey that we do want what has just been mentioned,” he said of the notion of a natural, minimalist park design. “We don’t want a lot of parking,” Gordon emphasized, adding that he didn’t think “some low-impact things along the paths,” such as exercise stations, “would hurt at all. Everybody wants a quiet, beautiful area over there, as opposed to something that would provide a lot more activity.”

With an inquiry about the potential parking provisions for the park, Peterson emphasized that the council was looking at only limited parking there — “very limited,” he underscored.

Resident Joan Kaminski said she liked the idea of the exercise elements along the park paths.

Resident Bruce Frye, who is among five candidates for four council seats in September’s council election, followed up on Healy’s reference to a water feature by asking if there is a drainage problem with the property.

Town Manager Cliff Graviet said that the way the park is now configured, there is no issue with drainage, and a retention pond won’t be needed. “I don’t hear any resounding interest in here,” he added of a water feature, and “absent that, we won’t be putting one in there.”

Former mayor Jack Walsh praised the approach the council has taken to the issue and said his primary concern about developing the park was safety — particularly related to its location at the intersection of Routes 1 and 26.

“If young children are running around in there, you’ve got to consider that,” he said, suggesting that an additional crossover going south at the intersection would also be needed, as there’s currently no way to get over to the other side of the road.

Walsh also suggested an even more minimalist design might be warranted, as just 26 percent of survey respondents said they would use park benches frequently, with another 24 percent saying they’d use them occasionally. Of picnic areas, he pointed out, 65 percent of respondents said they’d use them seldom, and another 30 percent only occasionally, with similar responses regarding shelters.

Resident Maureen Caviola said she had concerns about the idea of the park as a verdant, green space.

“As somebody who walks back and forth there every day,” she said, “it upsets me to see big hoses watering grass,” which she noted is not naturally occurring along the shore. “I would hope you would think about what a natural ocean park would look like,” she suggested, specifically mentioning native plants. She said she’d want the park to mirror how “the landscape looks around us” versus “something fake, like Disney World.”

Asked if there would be an opportunity for the public to look at the conceptual plans before the council would approve a final design, Gordon confirmed that the Town would be asking for three iterations for a possible design, while Graviet said the Town would place the resulting concepts on its website and may include them in a newsletter or mailing. He also said the council would be considering the designs at either a future council meeting or at a meeting specific to the topic.

Hardiman further noted that it was expected that the designs would be refined based on public and council input before a final design would be approved.

With the council having a consensus on the type of design they’re looking for in the park, Gordon also emphasized that there is plenty of time to reach a final design decision. “Time is not of the essence,” he said, adding that the park “looks very good now,” but that the Town would now be moving forward to the design phase with the hiring of a landscape architect.

Coastal Point •Maria Counts: The trucks are in the new bay and ready to respond.More than 20 fire apparatuses made their way through the streets of Dagsboro this past weekend. No, there wasn’t a fire — the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department was celebrating its official station change, from their former Waples Street location to their new state-of-the-art facility on Clayton Street.

“It’s a milestone for us,” said DVFD President Al Townsend. “We left the building that we were in for 50 years. We’ve got to thank the membership, because 30 years ago they decided to start putting money away to help fund the building because they knew our community was going to continue growing.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” added Lin Hudson, lifelong Dagsboro resident and past president of the DVFD, with 40 years in the department and having served on the building committee. “We’ve been sticking back and saving for a long time because we knew we were outgrowing the old building.”

At the new facility, a memorial that was relocated from the Waples Street facility sits outside and reads, “In Memory of All Who Served.”

“The new placement of the memorial allows for viewing by many more visitors and is the focal point for our entrance on Clayton Street, “said Bill DeHaven, who blessed the new building. “Just as the Maltese Cross on our emblems signifies service to our fellow humans, the memorial we dedicate today serves as the one place where those left behind can be renewed in their remembrance.”

When first entering the building, visitors are greeted with a hand-painted mural of the DVFD shield. Soon, a trophy case will be installed, displaying the department’s parade trophies and tournament awards.

The new facility boasts offices, a conference room, fitness room, training and meeting room, members’ room, kitchen area, bunkrooms and more.

“Before, all the administrators and line officers were basically working out of one room or their home. Now we have the capability — everything is staying in-house,” said Townsend.

The facility also has a separate ambulance bay and administrative office for the EMS staff. Secretary Matt Gajdos said that 80 percent of the department’s total call volume is EMS calls.

“We have a dual ambulance service with Frankford. That helps us both save money, because we don’t have to both hire so many employers,” explained Townsend. “We still give both communities 24 hours of coverage, seven days a week.”

In building the new facility, Townsend said the committee looked toward the future, as opposed to only what the department currently needed.

“When we built the building, we tried to look to the future. So we didn’t build what our immediate needs are right this year. We tried to look down the line and plan for expansion,” he said. “We realized we needed to build ourselves a facility that would prepare us to meet that need down the road. We have the infrastructure in place to meet the growth in the years ahead.”

“There’s other apparatus that we’re going to need in the future, and the old building would not house that. We were pretty tight with everything we had,” added Deputy Chief John Marvel, a life member with 22 years in the DVFD.

Marvel echoed Townsend, stating there was a great deal of work involved in planning and designing the new building.

“The whole membership worked together,” he said, adding of the building committee, “They worked their butts off to get this taken care of. We’re just tickled to death. Two months shy of being 51 years serving in the old firehouse, and here we are today, for many, many years to come.”

Designing a sustainable facility was paramount to the department, said Gajdos.

“The new building that was something that our building committee did a good job with,” he said. “We knew that our building was going to take up a lot of space... and it’s all concrete, it’s going to have a bit of an impact on the environment — so we tried to make it as green as possible.”

Gajdos added that the geothermal technology used will save the department in the long run.

“We tried to implement as many cost-saving devices as we could. Even if it costs more in the short term, in the long-term they’re going to save a lot of money.”

“This building is state-of-the-art; we went all geothermal. We tried to be as green as much as possible,” added Townsend.

Hudson said the fire department was able to afford the new facility through fundraisers, donations and financial help from the State and County.

“It all comes together. This year, you don’t buy that, and if we can put it off for two or three more years and save the money, see what kind of interest you could get on it. That’s the way it was done.

“We’re proud of the whole building,” he added. “When I first joined, I never thought we would have this much equipment and need this much equipment.”

Gajdos said the department doesn’t have any plans to buy new equipment, but the administration is looking into the community’s growth when planning for the future.

“We’re seeing more year-round versus seasonal,” said Gajdos, noting that the DVFD not only covers the town of Dagsboro but unincorporated areas of Sussex County, as well. “The bay area does allow us room to grow if needed,” he added of the new station. We have tall engine bay doors — that way, if apparatus get bigger, we aren’t stuck with a smaller building and stuck having to do changes. Through our planning, we can adapt over time and we don’t have to incur any additional expenses over time.”

“We just want to serve the public the best that we can,” noted Marvel. “We just want to be able to serve the community faster and safer.”

Marvel said the fire department is a family, and he’s happy to see the new facility completed in his lifetime for future generations.

“I’ve got a 12-week-old son, and I’m hoping and praying he follows in my footsteps,” he said.

Dagsboro firefighter Reed Carter, a 27-year-old Dagsboro resident, said that the new building has been “long awaited.”

“[It gives us] the ability to serve your community in a more efficient manner with the space allotted,” he said.

Carter joined the department when he was in high school, as a junior member.

“I wanted to help,” he said. “I was 16 years old and it was a hobby — it was something to do while you’re in high school. So, instead of sports, I decided to join the fire service.”

Carter said there is a special brotherhood among firefighters, akin to those who serve together in the military.

“You always remember the people that you’ve lost, and you always keep the people that you’re with safe,” he said.

The fire department will now be responding to emergency calls from the new facility on Clayton Street; however, Gajdos said the move is not yet complete, as files and other incidentals still need to be moved. Townsend added that a community open house for the new facility will be held in the fall.

Gajdos emphasized that the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department has received a tremendous amount of community support, and that the department is especially grateful to its old and new neighbors.

“We are thankful for their patience,” he added. “We are very thankful for our families overall for their patience and understanding in helping this project move forward.”

Gajdos said it’s an amazing feeling to finally see the facility come to fruition after so many years of planning and hard work.

“It’s like that dream that you have in the back of your head, where you keep saying, ‘I’d like to have that one day,’” said Gajdos. “You worked for it, worked out what didn’t work toward it and, finally, one day, finally see it move toward becoming a reality. Today, we met reality.

“We’ll continue to meet the need that’s asked of us, and we look forward to continuing to serve our community,” he added.

For more information about the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department, visit www.dagsborovfd.com or www.facebook.com/DagsboroVolunteerFireDepartment.

Coastal Point • Submitted: Allison Stine poses with her cars, all of which will be shown at the First Annual Cripple Creek Classic Car Show on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.With Operation SEAs the Day’s Wounded Warrior Beach Week steadily approaching, many people in the community are doing their part to raise money for the effort.

“I just thought it would be a nice addition, a way to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and for Operation SEAs the Day,” said local Realtor and classic car enthusiast Allison Stine. “I know there are a lot of cars in this area. We see them all the time. I see them driving down the road. I don’t know where they’re all being stored, but they’re out there.”

Operation SEAs the Day is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “to organize and facilitate a beach-week event … as a means of showing our appreciation for their service and sacrifice. It is our hope that such a community-based gesture of support will be comforting and help ease their transition back into civilian life.”

This year, Warrior Beach Week will be held Sept. 2-7, bringing 30 soldiers and their families to Bethany Beach for a relaxing weekend.

Stine said that, once she heard of the event, she knew she wanted to help in some way.

“Last year, I was not as familiar with the event until after it was over. I was so touched by the stories I had read… I reached out to a very good friend of mine, Don Summerville, who was very involved in the event last year. He was telling me how wonderful it was — how the restaurants wouldn’t take any money, all the houses that had been donated. I heard stories about the families and what a great experience it was.”

On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., owners of all makes and models are invited to participate in the First Annual Cripple Creek Classic Car Show.

“The show is open to all makes, all models, all years. A lot of times, shows will be specific to classic cars, which are considered to be 25 years or older, but this show is open to all makes, all models, all years. There’s going to be a 2009 SRTH Challenger that’s registered. We’ll have a military Jeep on display.”

Pre-registration costs $12 per car, or the driver may register the day-of for $15. The event is free for spectators and open to the public.

“There will be entertainment with a D.J., and a 50-50 raffle. The club is going to be serving lunch on the patio. There’s going to be an opportunity for spectators to choose their favorite cars. That car will receive one of the awards — the People’s Choice Award,” she said. “And it’s a chance to see all of these cars in one location.”

Stine said a number of awards will be given out that day, at 1 p.m.

“We’re going to give some very nice awards. One of our veteran guests from Warrior Week last year is going to choose the Best in Show. He’s returning to help the new families navigate the week. He’s an experienced guest. … Each of our sponsors is going to choose a favorite car. Then we’re going to have the participants choose a car — the car owners themselves vote for their favorite car. And then we’ll have members of the public voting for their favorite cars.”

Stine participates in car shows all across the country and said it’s always fun meeting new car enthusiasts.

“I just came back from Niagara Falls with a car. It’s really all about meeting wonderful people. I have three classic cars. What I love about owning these cars are the people that we meet. We never fail to meet interesting people from all walks of life who just have this love affair with cars, as a common hobby. They come from all walks of life, all different professions — some retired, some still working, men, women. I travel all over the country with my cars. I use it as an opportunity to travel. I use it as an opportunity to see new places.”

The event is sponsored by Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club, the Jeff Baxter Mortgage Team, the Law Offices of Scott & Shuman PA and the Allison Stine Team.

“I barely got the request out,” said Stine of the response to her appeal for sponsors. “Jeff Baxter and Billy Scott are two of the most generous people I know. They have always stepped up to the plate to help people. I barely had to ask.”

Stine said her love of cars started early, thanks to spending quality time with her father.

“I was raised as my father’s little boy, because he didn’t have a son. Part of being daddy’s little boy as a little girl was watching NASCAR. My dad was a big Richard Petty fan. We used to watch baseball, football, hockey and NASCAR together.

“So I loved cars. When I was a little girl, my dad used to sit me on his lap and let me steer the car and push the gas and brake,” she laughed. “I always had a fascination with driving cars.”

Later on in her youth, Stine was taught how to drive a tractor around her grandfather’s farm, with the help of her father.

“When I was about 13 or 14, I started borrowing my parents’ cars from time to time when they were away. I used to drive around Newark and pick up my friends. We would just go cruising in the car. I did that for several years, until I got my driver’s license.”

Stine currently owns a 2014 RS Camaro and a blue-with-white 1969 Z28 Camaro with a 302 motor, a 3:3 rear, Muncie 4-speed M21, with 61,0000 original miles.

“That car has been in the family in since 1975. It just completed a five-year frame-off, nuts and bolts restoration. It’s been restored to factory-original state,” she said, noting it was featured in Chevy Classics magazine.

On display at the event, Stine will have her yellow 1968 Road Runner with a 383 motor, a 3:23 rear, three-speed automatic, with a bench seat and shift on the column.

“It’s an unrestored original survivor car. It’s absolutely original, the way it came off the showroom floor — that makes it very rare,” she said, noting that the car has 70,000 original miles.

She also has a 1988 .75-ton Suburban with a 454 motor that she uses as her tow vehicle that will also be on display.

Stine is the chairperson of the Riverfront Camaro Show in Wilmington, Del., which just celebrated its 10th year. She said she is hopeful for a good turnout of participating vehicles for the first annual show to support Warrior Week.

“I’d like to see 80 cars. We would consider that to be an overwhelming success. I’m hopeful for 40. If I have 100, I’ll probably pass out,” she added with a laugh.

Stine said she hopes the community will do whatever they can to support the warriors and their families and will attend the car show in September.

“I just felt like it was a great way to get involved in this community event and to bring a new element to it; to give it a shot and see if it works. We’ve always been charitable. To me, this was just a nice way to do something in the community.”

To pre-register for the event, contact Stine at allison@allisonstine.com or call (302) 381-5565. For more information about Operation SEAs the Day or to volunteer or donate, visit their website, at www.operationseastheday.org. Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club is located at 29494 Cripple Creek Drive near Dagsboro.

The South Bethany Town Council met with Deputy Attorney General Edward K. Black of the Delaware Department of Justice last Friday, for a question-and-answer session about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The meeting covered a variety of topics regarding FOIA and was meant to clear up questions including what FOIA is, why it is needed, who it applies to, how it’s enforced and consequences of non-compliance, as well as what the council does and does not have to disclose to the general public and why.

“‘Observe’ doesn’t mean ‘participate’ — that’s a key concept,” Black explained of the citizen’s privilege afforded at council meetings. “You have the power to remove someone who is disruptive.”

Black went on to state that he wasn’t there to tell the council how to do their jobs, but he recommended that the council limit public comments to the allotted public comment period, with the exception of allowing a resident to speak that has specific knowledge of relevant subject matter.

“It’s a balancing act,” he went on. “You have a public comment period, but the purpose of FOIA is not to allow people to disrupt your meetings.”

Discussions continued regarding what was considered public record and what was not, what constituted a public meeting quorum, and what can get in the way of public business, rather than allowing for observation of public business being conducted.

“We need FOIA because the citizens should have the ability and the right to know what we’re up to,” said Black after explaining that there are 18 exceptions to that notion, including plans for public buildings because of security issues.

For more information about the Freedom of Information Act, visit the FOIA website, at www.foia.gov.

Following up on a request from developer Jack Burbage and his Bethany Beach Boardwalk Group, the Bethany Beach Town Council recently approved a payment agreement with the developers of the Bethany Beach Ocean Suites hotel that would allow them to pay about $790,000 in building permit fees, transfer taxes and water fees in four payments over the course of three years.

Town Manager Cliff Graviet said at the council’s July 18 meeting that after the council had reacted favorably to the idea at a prior meeting, the town solicitor and Burbage’s legal counsel had worked to create an agreement that would allow the payment plan. He noted that the plan had been developed based on the notion that “the amounts involved are extraordinary and not what most ordinary home owners would ever see.”

Despite the council’s overall support for the idea, Councilwoman Margaret Young took exception to the proposal on July 18, saying, “I consider it very unfair to property owners who have had work done … who have had remodeling done or are considering doing some. … If it’s fair for one person to have a sliding scale, it’s fair for others to have a sliding scale.”

However, Graviet was quick to correct Young’s reference to a sliding scale. While Burbage had also urged the council to consider such an accommodation, “The council resoundingly said no,” he emphasized. “The fees listed here are a one-time payment of fees that any property owner would pay.

“I’m not sure, given the amount of dialogue on this issue,” he added, where the idea of the agreement using a sliding scale had entered the discussion of the proposed agreement. “The only thing we have done, because of the extraordinary amount, is allow paying it over time. That’s not to say,” Graviet added, that if there were other property owners with a large project “the council wouldn’t consider that.”

Councilman Lew Killmer said he, too, objected to the idea that the accommodation was unfair.

“I don’t agree this is in any way a negative impact on anybody,” he said. “This is the most unique project, the largest project that has ever been done in this town. These fees are meant to cover the costs of providing these services. It’s all well within our charter,” Killmer added, noting that the developer is being charged the same rate of fees, at 3 percent of construction cost, as well as the same water fee, in proportion to the size of the project, and the same real estate transfer tax rate of 1.5 percent.

“We’re trying to say this is a lot of money for any individual or organization to try to pay all at once,” he emphasized. “There would be no loss of revenue. It’s being a good neighbor.”

Councilman Joseph Healy Jr. also objected to the notion that the payment plan was unfair.

“We have an opportunity here to have a project that’s going to be around for 50 years,” he said. It’s going to be a nice project. It’s going to add something nice to our town. Mr. Burbage has built some very fine properties in our town, which we have seen, and I trust that this would be the same. To say that there’s been some accommodation for him is far from the case,” Healy added. “I’m flabbergasted to hear this.”

Councilwoman Rosemary Hardiman pointed out that the agreement offers benefits for the Town, too.

“This revised agreement does protect the Town” and ensure payment would be made,” she emphasized, noting the payment agreement involves four payments made over three years and a day, not spread over four years, as may not have been clear to some. “We don’t want to start rumors,” she said.

Former mayor Jack Walsh said he didn’t see the justification for the payment plan being extended by the Town.

“The way I see this is that Mr. Burbage, who is a very successful businessman, who I respect, knew up front that these fees were going to be part of the package,” Walsh said, noting that his son had recently built a house in the town “and didn’t get any concession that he could pay the building fees over time. This is unique in that it is a lot of money, but Jack Burbage knew up front about these fees, and they should have been part of his whole planning package. There shouldn’t be these kinds of concessions made.”

Current Mayor Jack Gordon said he didn’t view the agreement in that way.

“I don’t see this as a big concession when someone is going to pay you $790,000,” he said. “I don’t see this as being any kind of unusual deal, given amount of money being given for services to get this project off the ground and going. I don’t see it as anything but good for the Town to be able to wrap into one package” the various fees, he concluded.

Graviet also pointed out recent concerns statewide about fees charged by municipalities, including a Delaware House of Representatives bill that dealt directly with the issue in the wake of controversy over fees in Dewey Beach. The proposed payment plan, he said, dealt with such issues up front.

“This agreement guarantees payment of fees and waives any legal action by Mr. Burbage against the Town on the issue of fees charged,” Graviet explained. “It protects the Town.”

The council voted 6-1 on July 18 to approve the payment agreement, with Young opposed.

The tribulations of the nation’s Southern boarders have reached up to pinch Delaware this week as the Indian River School District Board of Education discussed the impact of immigration on local schools.

Gov. Jack Markell recently wrote to state legislators that of 57,000 unaccompanied minors who have crossed into the U.S. from the southwestern border since last October, 117 children were officially placed with Delaware families recently.

Board Member Donald Hattier wanted to discuss the local effects at their meeting on July 28.

To protect their privacy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services does not share the identity or location of these families, but Hattier imagined a number will come to the district.

“Some of these children may enroll in Delaware schools while awaiting processing by federal authorities, as immigrant children ordinarily do,” Markell wrote.

“If they don’t read English, Spanish or anything else, they’re going to affect us,” including graduation rates and Adequate Yearly Progress, he noted, with both measures used to gauge a school’s success and funding. “If they don’t speak English, don’t we have to hire extra ELL teachers?” Hattier asked.

“We have been receiving additional students the last several years,” Superintendent Susan Bunting said. “We have not had official indication these kids will be added to our population. We are the fastest-growing district in the state.”

As long as children enroll by Sept. 30, IRSD will get the state funding it needs for teachers and other resources.

However, the district doesn’t get extra money for English Language Learners, like it does for special education, despite the unique learning needs.

“We try to have people on staff who are ELL-certified, and they will work with our ELL students,” Bunting said.

Currently, the IRSD is designing two classrooms at G.W. Carver Academy for children who “do not speak any English at all … and are in need of the very, very basics — maybe they do not even read or write English,” Bunting said.

“If the students come to us when they are young, they can be assimilated into our students,” soaking up English like a sponge at a young age, she said, even being ready for kindergarten if they enroll at Project VILLAGE.

“It depends on what age level they might arrive. We have no idea if we will be getting accompanied children at all. Or if we will be getting younger ones. … We are waiting,” Bunting said. “If they arrive on our step, we will work with them.”

But one problem could come from the children who arrive after Sept. 30. Last year, Sussex Central High School enrolled about 70 students after that deadline, receiving no extra money from the State to pay for the resources needed for those additional students.

“But it is tough, and it impacts the school,” said former Sussex Central High School Principal Jay Owens said in May.

To fill the students’ schedules properly, they’re sometimes sent to classes where they don’t understand what’s going on. Some have a paraprofessional to help them. Some have never attended school before and can’t read or write even their native language.

They aren’t likely to be very successful under that system, Owens had said.

“We’ve never seen an influx like this,” Hudson said in May.

Hattier and fellow Board Member Shaun Fink said this week that they were extremely upset with the governor not keeping the IRSD in the loop.

Bunting said she had attended meetings with Delaware’s U.S. Congressional staff where immigration was a hot topic.

“Did anyone in those say they’re in favor of sending kids back?” Hattier asked.

“They didn’t say it,” but all options are being weighed, Bunting said.

“This is gonna cost us an arm and a leg,” Hattier said, suggesting that the IRSD send the children away or demand government funding on the children’s arrival, even after September.

“I’m not anti-kid,” Hattier clarified. “I just have grave concerns what this is gonna do for the school district. It’s going to create problems.”

Bunting said the district can continue making inquiries.

“We are the people who are held accountable,” Board Member Rodney Layfield agreed. “We’re trying to do the best for our students, and we can’t do that when we don’t have the numbers.”

Board Member Leolga Wright noted that some children don’t always speak the truth when prompted, giving false names and more.

Hattier asked about vaccinations. All children entering public schools is in Delaware have a right to prove they’ve been vaccinated. After 14 days, they can be excluded from school until proven to be vaccinated. La Red Health Center has been contacted to help expedite any such problems, Bunting said.

The immigrant children typically live with extended family members or friends and must provide some proof of local residence, said Director of Curriculum & Instruction LouAnn Hudson. If they sign a legal affidavit claiming their birthdate or other information falsely, they could be expelled for lying.

If sent from dislocation center, they generally come with paperwork and a sponsor named, she said. Homelessness laws can also require schools to accept the child immediately, with a federal law superseding school policy.

“If a kid shows up with no adults, they can enroll themselves, and we have to enroll them?” Board Member James Fritz asked.

“They typically show up with an advocate or advocate lawyer,” Hudson said. “To my knowledge, there are none who do not live with relatives. Of the students we have registered so far, I know of none who have shown up unaccompanied.”

Staff were asked how this affects disciplinary procedures.

“Typically, it’s not our Hispanic students who get into trouble,” Bunting emphasized.

Moreover, they’re not untouchable.

“Once they’re enrolled, they’re ours, and they have to abide by our rules. There are consequences,” Bunting said.

“We have been told by the administration that, before any child is placed, the USHHS vaccinates and provides health screenings for that child,” Markell wrote. “The USHHS will not place a child … that has an illness that is contagious or if the child is found to present some other danger to the community based on their behavior or known history. However, we should keep in mind that these children generally leave their homes to escape violence, not to participate in it.

Surprise costs

North Georgetown, Long Neck and East Millsboro elementary schools are currently under construction for the addition of eight classrooms apiece.

Each of the schools have presented unique challenges, such as North Georgetown’s unmarked underground utility vaults (some in use), Long Neck’s invasive utility lines and East Millsboro’s soil problems.

At Long Neck, Booth estimated that Delaware Co-Op will charge around $6,000 to move a 7,400-volt line. With fiber optics running nearby, Verizon could charge more.

“Change orders” can be “dirty words,” said Layfield, expressing frustration with the situation.

Booth noted that the IRSD would be paying to move those lines, whether they had been unearthed now or last year.

At East Millsboro, the original 8-inch estimates of topsoil have multiplied into 2 feet of soil that needs to be shifted.

Fink was incredulous that the soil readings changed so vastly since the winter boring tests and that the problem was only discovered now, during construction.

“Yes, some of those issues should have been caught. [It’s] not to the level I would have wanted it to be,” said Brad Hastings of Becker Morgan Group, adding that the company would “stand by and support” the district’s investigation.

It’s so early in the investigation process that Booth was still receiving updates and estimates just before the board meeting began. He said he aims to keep everyone in the loop, to ensure the best decision-making.

Meanwhile, the IRSD could be paying $2 million more than originally anticipated, thanks to all the headaches.

“We did know as we’ve been going along that there was potential that it would be $2 million, based on additional costs,” said Patrick Miller, chief financial officer. “Looks like that’s going to be $2.2 or $2.3 million more than [originally estimated].

“We knew what our allocation was [when we went to bid],” Miller said. But since the 2012 estimates and 2013 referendum, market prices have changed.

The board planned to talk specifics later, in executive session.

Builders still aim to finish North Georgetown by mid-November, East Millsboro by early December and Long Neck by the new year.

Selbyville Middle School and Phillip C. Showell Elementary are next in line for construction (four and two new classrooms, respectively). The board approved the preparation of bid documents on Monday, and Fink demanded reassurance that precautions would be taken to avoid future construction surprises with the Selbyville schools.

Prayer at board meetings

The IRSD School Board is shaking the dust off a years-old dispute regarding prayer at board meetings.

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly decided to uphold a lower court ruling in the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, ruling that elected legislative bodies, such as city councils, can begin their meetings with prayer.

The board used to open each session with a board member leading the others in prayer. In 2008, the anonymous Doe family sued IRSD, arguing that the prayers (often invoking the name of Jesus) before school board meetings were unconstitutional.

The district eventually lost the case, after several appeals, and in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which automatically upheld the U.S. Court of Appeals that public prayer led by school board members is unconstitutional.

“It hinged upon the fact that we cannot give prayer — Christian prayer in particular — at our board meetings if we invite students,” Bunting said. It could be considered “trying to influence students in a religious manner.”

Recently, after speaking to their attorney, Jason Gosselin, School Board President Charles Bireley reported that, “As long as we have our policy of inviting students to our meetings … we do not go back to doing what we did before.”

The July board meeting itself was actually devoid of students, and the board might have initiated prayer themselves on Monday but did not. However, since the Appeals Court decision in 2011, community members have prayed aloud during the public comments portion of nearly every regular board meeting.

Still, board members expressed an interest in inviting Gosselin or another authority to speak to them about potential options.

On a related note, Religious Freedom Day will be added to the school calendar. Since 1993, U.S. presidents have named Jan. 16 as Religious Freedom Day to honor civil liberties, which includes freedom of religious belief.

A member of the public previously asked the board to consider the matter, and they unanimously approved the addition.

In other Indian River news:

• School meal prices will remain the same this year, marking “the 10th straight year” without a student platter price increase, said Clifton F. Toomey Jr., supervisor of nutrition services.

That’s $1 for elementary lunch and $1.10 for middle and high schools. Breakfast costs 60 cents regularly. Reduced-price lunch platters cost 40 cents, and breakfast costs 30 cents for eligible students.

However, teacher prices required an increase, to $3.31. Historically, the district has raised adult prices by 25 cents, so the teacher price should be $3.50 for the next several years.

• During public comments, Kim Allison said the board will be approached soon with a request to begin a girls’ lacrosse program at Indian River High School. She strongly encouraged the board to approve it.

“There’s excitement in the community, … in the school, about it. I would love to see the same opportunity brought to the girls here,” she said. “I know it will cost a few dollars, but it will be well-spent.”

The next regular Indian River School District Board of Education meeting is Monday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. at Sussex Central High School.

The Fourth of July holiday in Bethany Beach was a little quieter this year than in the past, with the first-ever cancelation of the Bethany Beach 4th of July Parade, due to weather, and a partly weather-related scaling down of the Town’s fireworks display, which was postponed a day, also due to Hurricane Arthur.

Mayor Jack Gordon at the July 18 town council meeting praised the work of the town committee organizing the parade for the first year, after decades of it being run by volunteers. He noted that, after a year of work putting the parade together, they’d had to rush to undo all of their work the day before it was to have taken place.

Fourth of July Parade Committee Chairman and Councilman Chuck Peterson said of the work, “We planned for everything except a hurricane, and as you mentioned, it rained on our parade,” he added in response to Gordon’s comments.

Peterson said the group had, nonetheless, benefitted from the year of work, having come up with some recommendations to improve the planning process for the future, including adding an email address to the information collected for contracts with bands and other entertainers, so that the committee could contact them more easily, such as in the event of a cancelation.

He also praised the work of Ray and Christine Aumiller on T-shirt sales to benefit the event, noting that they had “basically sold out” of the shirts, even though 35 percent of the sales usually take place on the day of the parade.

While the parade was a washout, making for the “first time in anyone’s recollection that the parade was canceled,” Town Manager Cliff Graviet said, they’d had better luck with the annual fireworks display, which was postponed a day, to July 5, with the uncertainty of Hurricane Arthur’s impact looming over the event.

“I think we made the right decision,” Graviet said of the postponement, noting that the width of the beach after the storm was a factor in how large the display could be, as well as in whether it could even safely take place.

Graviet said the Town had received several emails about the fireworks having been “less spectacular this year than in the past,” with the explosions being lower and making less noise. He said that perception was correct.

Citing a change in vendors this year, he explained that the vendor the Town previously had used may not have complied with state regulations on fireworks displays, with which the new vendor had complied.

“The size of the shells is contingent on the size of the beach,” Graviet noted, saying that past years in which beach replenishment had been done relatively recently had meant they’d been able “to do more than we were this year. I think they put on a fantastic show, given their limitations.”

While Arthur did rain on Bethany’s parade, the resulting water will now clear out faster than it has in previous years, with additional work done on the N. Pennsylvania Avenue “patchwork” drainage system “in the infamous area where it constantly floods,” Graviet said.

At just $20,000 in cost to the Town, with town employees providing some of the labor and using the Town’s own supplies, Graviet said, the repairs made a significant improvement to drainage in that area.

“It’s nothing that’s going to resolve the issues with tidal flooding, but now it drains much more quickly,” he said. Even during recent “significant” rain events, Graviet noted, within 12 to 24 hours, the area was dry, except for some puddling on the shoulders.

Graviet said he’d also had some inquiries as to why the Town had not placed its accessibility-enhancing Mobi Mats on some of the dune crossovers this summer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had replaced the hard surfaces on some of the crossings, he explained, and the Town hadn’t put the mats back at those locations as a result.

“The mat moves on that hard clay surface,” he noted, adding that the sand on other crossovers anchors the mats in place. If the hard-surfaced crossings do degrade in the future, Graviet said, the Town has enough mats to put down on them and will do so. “It has not been an issue in terms of being able to traverse them,” he added.

The Town has also recently made changes to the route for the town trolley, removing two stops over concerns that people coming from outside the town were parking nearby and using the trolley to get downtown without having to pay for metered parking or walk significant distances.

The Lake Bethany stop was removed, he said, because of complaints from that development about people from outside the town parking in and around their entrance and at vacant lots, and then taking the trolley.

The stop at the South Coastal Library was also removed, Graviet said, as “the parking lot had become a de facto park-and-ride.” He said that when the library closed at the end of the day on July 5, library staff had reported that there were only two empty parking spaces in the entire parking lot, despite there being no one left inside the library.

People were boarding there and getting a ride into town, he said, emphasizing that such transportation of residents of areas outside of Bethany “is not the purpose of our trolley,” which is intended for the use of residents and visitors of people residing in Bethany itself.

Lifeguards to make the call on balls and boards

The council held first readings for two revised ordinances on July 18, both having to do with lifeguards’ control over activities at the beach.

The first ordinance addresses activities involving throwing things on the beach, such as balls or flying discs. Peterson said the change was to make such activities “at the discretion of the lifeguards,” which is current Town policy but is not reflected in the ordinances on the books.

He said a few suggestions had been made since the ordinance had been drafted — including specifying that it impacts both the sand and water along the shoreline — and that a revised version would be presented at its second reading, when a council vote could take place.

The second ordinance getting a first reading on July 18 addresses times and locations when surfing and similar activities are permitted on the beach, making that at the discretion of the lifeguards, as well.

Input on the ordinance has included expanding it to other activities, such as body-boarding, which Peterson said would be included in the second reading. In essence, he said, the ordinances “simplify it” so that it’s clear that the “lifeguards are in control when they’re there.”

Gordon also noted that the existing ordinances reference a requirement for body-boards to have leashes, even though leashes haven’t been commonly used on the boards for years. “It’s never been enforced,” he noted. “It should definitely not require leashes. It’s very out-of-date for that activity.”

The second readings on both ordinances are expected at the August council meeting.

Four incumbents, one challenger to vie in Sept. 6 election

That August meeting could be the last for the existing council makeup, as the annual municipal election will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 6 p.m. at town hall. Four council seats are up for election in 2014, currently held by Gordon, Rosemary Hardiman (appointed earlier this year to replace former mayor Tony McClenny, whose term expires in September), Lew Killmer and Margaret Bogan Young.

In addition to the incumbents, the five candidates for the 2014 election include resident R. Bruce Frye, who currently sits on the Charter & Ordinance Review Committee, Fourth of July Parade Committee and the Board of Adjustment. Frye was previously considered by the council as one of three candidates for the appointment to replace McClenny. (Hardiman was selected.) He also endorsed Peterson as a candidate in the 2013 council election.

The Coastal Point will once again host Candidates’ Night ahead of the election, on Friday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. at town hall. The event will again be available live, in audio form, via the Town’s website, for those who can’t attend in person.

Also at the July 18 council meeting:

• Councilman Jerry Dorfman reported on the Town’s fiscal year as of June 30, noting that it had taken in 51.2 percent of budgeted revenue (compared to 49.1 at the same point last year) and paid out 25.4 percent of budgeted expenses (compared to 23.7 last year).

• Dorfman said the Audit Committee had also received the Town’s annual audit report, again finding no problems and coming with compliments on the Town’s internal controls, policies and personnel. He said a compliance “single” audit on the water tower construction project had also been required because the Town had used more than $500,000 in federal funding, as the project’s loan originated through the EPA. That, too, yielded a favorable report, with no incidents of non-compliance found.

• Reporting for the Budget & Finance Committee, Dorfman also addressed the Town’s fiscal year thus far, with revenue coming in at 8 percent over the budgeted figure and expenses at 5 percent under the budgeted amount. Both, he said, were up 2 percent over the figure for that point in the prior year, with transfer taxes and building permits the primary sources of the increases in revenue.

• Dorfman also reported first-quarter revenues as 6 percent higher, with parking revenue alone up by $60,000 over the same point in 2013, due to the delayed start of paid parking last year. The first quarter also saw 13 percent higher expenses, which Dorfman said was primarily due to the replacement of equipment and work on drainage projects.

• Addressing one last area of the Town’s finances, Dorfman said the committee had done a five-year review on its sanitation and water funds. Over the last five years, he said, the Town’s cost for trash service had increased by 43 percent — about 11 percent per year on average — as a direct result of new State regulations regarding recycling and yard waste, as well as increases in DSWA dump fees. He said the water costs had increased at about 3 percent per year over the last five years.

• Councilman and Planning Commission Chairman Lew Killmer reported disappointing turnout for the commission’s June meeting, to which 35 individuals and firms had been invited to garner their input on a draft ordinance on residential bulk density in the R-1A and R-1B zones, but only five attended. Despite that, Killmer said, good input had been received, with changes to be considered and voted upon by the commission at their August meeting before the final draft ordinances goes to the council for possible adoption.

Representatives from the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) spoke to the Sussex County Council this week regarding how the agency manages a large event that is hosted within the state.

“For an event of this size, it takes about a year to plan this event,” explained Adam Weiser, programs manager for DelDOT, who along with Michael Rivera, also of DelDOT, spoke to the council regarding a recent conditional-use application to use 500 acres of agricultural-residential zoned farmland on Hollyville Road for a facility for outdoor entertainment events with temporary camping facilities.

The property is owned by the Baker family, with the application submitted by and proposed festivals to be organized by Coolspings LLC and Highway One. If approved, the farmland could be used for a country music festival, a folk music festival and a handful of fundraising events each year.

For the Firefly music festival, Weiser said, festival officials anticipated 20,000 to 30,000 attendees its first year.

“We planned that event for a year,” he said, adding that the department had monthly meetings with all those who were involved. “We met with the event organizers, we met with Dover Downs on a monthly basis to talk about their numbers and ticket sales, how we were going to manage traffic, where people were camping, how the parking was going to be set up and what that would do to our infrastructure.”

Weiser said that, because Firefly had been a new event that had kinks, officials started planning for the following year’s event immediately after its conclusion.

“Because of the issues we had in 2013, we started planning for 2014 pretty much the day after Firefly ended in 2013. It was pretty much a yearlong process, meeting with all the major players — that includes DSP, Dover PD, fire, EMS, Dover Downs, the City of Dover and their personnel.

“We haven’t had a chance to do that with this event. I found out about this event in early June.”

Weiser said that, because of that, his presentation to the council would only be based on very preliminary information his office has received after having a short meeting with the potential festivals’ organizers.

He added that DelDOT had reviewed roadway conditions, potential routes festival-goers would travel to attend the event and how those routes would be managed.

“Based on the numbers we’ve seen from the organizer, it’ll be over a five-day period, Wednesday to Sunday — we’re expecting to have about 1,200 vehicles on Wednesday and Thursday, 2,200 to 3,200 vehicles on Friday, and 1,000 to 2,000 per day on Saturday and Sunday.”

According to Weiser, DelDOT has been told that the traffic would be minimal, as camping vehicles would not be allowed to leave before the festival’s conclusion.

“We’ve been told that, once you’re there to camp, you’re there to stay — the cars, as well. Firefly is the same way,” said Weiser. “What you get with camping is also companion vehicles. ‘We’re going to drive the camper down, but four of our friends are coming with us in two cars — where are they going to park?’ That’s something we would have to consider and get more information on.”

Weiser said DelDOT was not provided with detailed information on how festival organizers plan to receive vehicles within the festival, through queue lines. He added that, if those lines are not properly managed, traffic could spill onto State roads and cause backups.

“There are a lot of things that need to occur here that we don’t know the answers to. We’re making some major assumptions as to what this is going to do to traffic.”

Weiser said the vehicles will be a mix of cars, small campers and large campers.

“You’re talking about a wide range of vehicles on these roads,” he said. “One of the things we see at a lot of these events — Firefly is another example — you get folks that they don’t want to camp in a tent. So they go rent an RV, but they’ve never driven one before. So, driving down these roads is going to be entertaining.”

Three entrances to the farm were also reviewed by DelDOT. On Hollyville and Avalon roads, DelDOT looked at how it would manage the ingress and egress of traffic.

“We would recommend two lanes coming in and having a lane coming out for people who go in and realize they’re in the wrong spot, but also for emergency vehicle access,” he explained. “On Sunday night, when everybody goes home, we flip that up.”

Lawson Road would be used as the artists’ entrance and for vendor and stage equipment.

“Most likely, you’re going to have some very large tractor-trailers trying to get in here,” said Weiser. “They’re going to need to widen the entrances. There are some substantial improvements … that are going to have to occur because of this.”

Councilman Sam Wilson said he wasn’t sure if the trailers would be much different than grain trucks that already visit the farm.

“There’s no way that it can work with one dirt lane going into that field,” said Rivera.

“We’re talking a 53-foot-long tractor-trailer,” said Weiser, adding that the vehicles are carrying an inordinate amount of speakers, stage equipment, lighting and more. “This is going to be a little bit more than grain trucks coming into an entrance. You’re talking vendor equipment, and all that stuff as well, that is going to be using this particular access point.”

Weiser said that it would be difficult for DelDOT alone to require event organizers to make roadway improvements and follow their recommendations.

“From a requirement standpoint, I have a regulation that says you have to fill out a special-event permit, but there’s not a lot of teeth in that regulation. We try to do the best that we can to work with the event coordinators, making these recommendations. And generally they follow it. Sometimes we need a little bit of a push for others.”

“I think this body will give you the teeth you need to make this work,” if the application were to be approved, said Councilman Vance Phillips.

Some suggested stipulations were that the event organizers be required to video all the roadways before the event and after the event, so DelDOT may analyze them for deterioration caused by the event.

“And require the event organizers to maintain those roadways at their cost,” said Weiser.

He also added that travel roads leading to the event would also be reviewed, as many access points to the Baker Farm, such as Route 24, are already over capacity.

“The big key here for us is that there is still a lot of unknowns,” said Weiser.

The council must first receive the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendation on the application prior to voting on whether to approve it.

The fields at the Pyle Center are ready for action as softball players from around the world will compete next week.The fields have been lined, the extra lights have been brought in, and the peanuts and Cracker Jacks have been stocked for the 2014 Big League and Senior League World Series at the Pyle Center in Roxana, starting on Sunday, Aug. 3.

This Sunday will mark the start of the 11th Senior League World Series and second Big League World Series at the Pyle Center, but this year’s venue promises even more national and international attention than in the past, with even more televised games to be broadcast on ESPN. Instead of just broadcasting the finals, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” will also air four semi-final games this year, as well.

“It helps the World Series community more so than it helps us, I think,” said Lower Sussex Little League President Tracy Littleton of how the added exposure can help fund the host LLWS. “It will help the World Series in general, because it gives it more publicity, more incentive to do a sponsorship.”

This year’s host Delaware District III Senior League representative will be the Nanticoke team, from Seaford, which is making its first World Series appearance since 2006, when they made it all the way to the championship game before falling to USA East.

Laurel earned the District III host bid in Big League play last Friday night, when they took down reigning World Series champion Millsboro 3-1 in the 13th game of what was supposed to be a 12-game series.
Coastal Point • Susan Lyons :
“We all wanted another shot, but we came up a little short,” said Millsboro pitcher and 2013 World Series Champion Rachel Hudson. “Sure, we were disappointed, but we tried our best and that’s all you can ask for. Laurel is a great team, and I think they will represent our county well. I wish them the best of luck.”

This year’s Laurel squad will be led by First-Team All-State Laurel High School pitcher Reagan Green when they begin World Series play on Sunday night against USA East.

For the eighth year in a row, ASOFEM Little League from Puerto Rico will represent Latin America in Senior League play, after a two -game sweep of Soraida Juliana Little League at regionals held in Guanica, Puerto Rico. The team has won two Senior League World Series titles since the venue moved to Roxana in 2004, winning it all in both 2008 and 2012.

While last year’s Big League World Series champion won’t be back to defend its title, last year’s Senior League World Series champion will be, as the Indiana District 11 All-Star team from South Bend makes their return to Roxana. The team will represent USA Central after a 2-0 win against Ohio earned them their shot at another championship.

ESPN has brought in extra lighting for this year’s added broadcasts from Bruce Layton Field and will air semi-final games on both ESPN-U and ESPN-3, with the championships on ESPN and ESPN-2.

For Senior League play, the semi-final games will air on Friday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. on ESPN-3 and at 1 p.m. on ESPN-U. The Senior League championship game will air on ESPN at noon on Saturday, Aug. 10.

The Big League semi-finals will air on ESPN-U at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, and the championship will air on ESPN-2 at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10.

“It’s been an honor for us to host,” said Littleton. “It’s great for the community itself, for Lower Sussex Little League, and neat to see our complex on ESPN.”

However, even with 10 years of World Series experience, Littleton said that they still need help from the community in order to continue their proven track record of success, in the way of volunteers — mainly for help with running the always-busy concession stand. Anyone interested in volunteering, whether it be for just an hour or for the entire day, can call Tracey Littleton at (302) 245-8130.

For more information on both the Senior League and Big League World Series, including a full schedule of games, visit www.seniorsoftballws.org and www.bigleaguesoftballws.org. You can also find out more on their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and get updates using the hashtags #llssws, #seniorsoftballws, #llblws, and #bigsoftballws.