Coastal Point • File Photo : Jazz Funeral participants mourn the death of summer in an end-of-summer celebration, held each year on the boardwalk, featuring jazz music and a mock funeral procession. This year will be the 29th year that the boardwalk has hosted this event.For the 29th year, Bethany Beach will mark the unofficial end of the summer season with the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral, this Labor Day Monday, and a silent auction Friday, Aug. 29, to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“For the past 29 summer seasons, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral has been held to celebrate the season’s end and to help the local residents ease back to the slower pace of off-season living,” said assistant chairperson Carolyn Bacon. “It is one last chance to celebrate the final moments of the summer season with an event that is marked by music, humor and good fellowship.”

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the north end of the Bethany Beach boardwalk, spectators can join in a funeral procession and enjoy the music of three jazz bands as they make their way down the boardwalk to the Bethany Beach bandstand.

“The Jazz Funeral has become a quirky Bethany Beach tradition, and all are welcomed to join in,” Bacon said. “Our goal is for every one of the 2,000 or more people who attend to enjoy themselves and to feel free to celebrate the end of the summer season in their own personal way.”

The silent auction is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, at Bethany Blues restaurant in Bethany Beach, which will begin the charity fundraising for the weekend. At the auction, donated items including home furnishings, jewelry and unique gifts will be up for bids. After the auction, participants are being encouraged to check out local shops.

“Not only will you have an enjoyable weekend, there are shopping opportunities, as many Bethany Beach merchants offer end-of-season and back-to-school discounts,” Bacon said. “You can have a great time and save money, too.”

All the money raised by the silent auction will go to Sussex County Big Brothers Big Sisters. Past proceeds have gone to charities including Sussex County Habitat for Humanity and the American Cancer Society, as well as the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina.

Even if the event were to incur some less-than-favorable weather, according to Jazz Funeral Chairman Paul Jankovic, it won’t be canceled.

“We are not able to cancel the Jazz Funeral, so we must go, be it rain or shine,” he said.

Despite the name, which might indicate a somber affair, Bacon highlighted what is sure to be a lively event.

“Some may weep and cry for dearly departed summer. Other dress to the hilt in costumes, like they would if they were attending a New Orleans jazz funeral,” she said. “Everyone smiles and laughs at the tongue-in-cheek humor that pervades the Jazz Funeral, and all are encouraged to sing-along with the bands.”

Anyone who is interested in helping out with the Jazz Funeral or silent auction can call (302) 537-1585 or send an email to jazzfuneral@comcast.net. Visit www.jazzfuneral.net for more general information.

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert : South Bethany is taking a creative path to beautifying the town.Those who have walked the streets of South Bethany lately have been able to enjoy some unique art on Ocean and Seaside drives — in the form of art boards.

“We started the whole idea last year, but this is the first summer we’ve had them hanging,” said South Bethany Councilwoman and Community Enhancement Committee (CEC) Chair Sue Callaway.

The art boards are original works created by local artists that have been printed on a sustainable board that then is adhered to trash-can enclosures on the two streets.

“We have three now, and we have two potential other ones, and one in the works that’s being painted right now,” said Callaway. “These are original artworks that have been scanned, and we send it to a sign company that takes the scan and creates an image onto almost a street-sign kind of product, so it’s weather-resistant and can withstand the environment and anything else that might come along.”

The idea for displaying art throughout the town came while the CEC was brainstorming unique ways to enhance the community.

“A couple of years ago, we had talked about another idea that some of our committee members had seen while in Florida, where people had painted utility poles. We thought about that idea for a while, and then our maintenance department came up with the idea. ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if we could put artwork along there?’” recalled Callaway. “So we started going with that idea. We knew of a couple of professional artists in South Bethany, and they agreed to submit paintings.”

Currently, those living and visiting the town can enjoy artist Tara Funk Grim’s “Beach Brellies” art board, located on Ocean Drive at S. 3rd Street, Carolyn Marcello’s “Historic WWII Tower,” on Ocean Drive and Celeste Speer’s “Dolphins at Play,” located on Ocean Drive and N. 2nd Street.

“They look really great,” said Callaway.

Artists interested in participating in the program do not need to be South Bethany residents, she noted.

“We have the paintings or sketches submitted to the CEC. Then we review the artwork before it’s approved,” she said of the process. “We’d love to have South Bethany artists, but we’re not excluding anyone at this point.”

Callaway said that the art board program, along with the other CEC projects, would not be possible without the support of the town’s mayor and council. She added the Town hopes that the program grows and becomes yet another little treasure in the community.

“Our goal is to encourage more participation and have one on every walkway eventually,” she said. “We hope it will really grow, and I think it will.”

Artists interested in participating in the Art Board Program may contact Callaway via email, at Sue.Callaway@gmail.com.

A large private residence will resemble a European outdoor market this weekend, as the ninth annual “yArt” (Art in the Yard) show returns to Bethany Beach.

Nick and Julie Kypreos will open their gates at 33258 Kent Avenue on Aug. 30 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days.

It’s a free art show, but all raffle proceeds will go to the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company.

“We have a lot of friends who are local artists, and when we first got involved in the local art community, we realized that there weren’t too many shows that they had the opportunity to really sell their work and really profit from it,” Julie Kypreos explained.

For artists still working regular jobs and just painting on nights and weekends, she wanted to host an event that would benefit them directly.

And each of the 22 artists gives back. Everyone donates a piece of art, from original paintings to scarves, jewelry, soap, children’s books or sculpture. For a few bucks, people can buy an inexpensive drawing ticket for an equal chance to win great art, and the money goes to benefit the fire company.

“I feel like they do so much for the community, and the public isn’t really aware that they rely completely on fundraising to operate,” she said.

“We’re very grateful that they have chosen us to be the beneficiary of that event. We’re honored,” said BBVFC President Stephen Lett. “We depend to a large degree on donations that we receive from the community. We need this kind of support … to provide 24/7 coverage to the community.”

“I love when the winners come to pick up their raffle pieces. It’s nice to see how genuinely happy they are. Some of them are extremely valuable,” Kypreos said of the works. “They’re getting a valuable piece of art for maybe $5. It’s chance-based.”

Live music completes the day.

Guests are reminded that parking laws are strict in Bethany Beach, requiring permits in some locations, and she requests other drivers and residents to have some patience with traffic in the area that day.

“It’s just a few minutes of your time to slow down on Kent Avenue,” she implored.

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert : A carnival was held during Delaware Burn Camp’s week-long retreat at Camp Barnes. The kids were able to play games, eat cotton candy, enjoy a photobooth and, as camper Lincoln demonstrated, even make a little sand art.Sustaining any kind of burn can be extremely traumatic. In 2009, through state legislation the Delaware Burn Camp was created to provide a safe and natural environment for the promotion of physical and emotional healing to young victims of burn injuries.

Its mission is simple: “To assist young burn victims in their adjustment to injury through the provision of a safe, supportive environment and providing companionship through physical and social activities in a camp setting.”

This year, the camp was held at Camp Barnes near Bethany Beach on Aug. 11-16, and 10 campers were able to participate in various activities, including archery, crabbing and swimming.

“It’s a learning opportunity for them because they can realize that, ‘Yes, I was burned and have had a little bit of an issue. Maybe I’m a little handicapped. But I can still do anything I want to,’” said Joanne Hutchison, president of the camp.

“That’s our goal. We want them to recover emotionally and physically. Some of the burns aren’t as severe as the others, but that doesn’t matter. A burn is a burn. If you’ve got scars, you’re different from somebody else, and that’s difficult to get over sometimes.”

The annual summer camp held at Camp Barnes is free of charge to any child between the ages of 6 and 18 years who has sustained a serious burn injury.

Hutchison said all the kids who attended this year have participated in the camp before, and all have a different story about how they were burned.

“I have two little girls — one who accidentally pulled a cup of scalding stuff on her and got her chest and down one arm; the other ran into her brother and got splashed down her neck and down the other arm.

“We have one little boy whose stepmother was aggravated — he was two and a half years old and wet his pants, and she put him in a tub of scalding water and he sustained burns. She spent some time in jail… We have one young man whose friends squirted him down with lighter fluid and lit him up.

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert : Junior camp counselor Christopher dresses up during the carnival after having some fun in the photo booth.“We have lots of different reasons for the burns. Most children sustained scald burns. One little boy, he was playing outside and accidentally fell into a fire pit with his hands out and burned his hands. There’s all different reasons, all different incidents,” she explained.

No matter the cause of each child’s injury, Hutchison said the camp is there to show that they can overcome their trauma.

“We try to make sure they don’t mind talking about it. We don’t press it, but we want them to understand, regardless of what happened, you can go on.”

Joe, a 16-year-old camper from Wilmington, said the camp’s atmosphere is what has kept him coming back for the past five years.

“It’s a good environment for kids who have been through a lot. It’s like a vacation that we get to go on and look forward to every year,” he said. “I come back every year because I have fun. I’ve gotten to know everyone so well. We’ve just become a big family.”

Burned at the age of 11, Joe said he would recommend the camp to other kids who have experienced a burn trauma.

“Everyone is really accepting. This is a judge-free environment.”

Elizabeth, 12, a Magnolia resident, said the camp is very fun, and she hopes more kids will attend in the future.

“You get to meet people that went through the same thing as you, with their burns. It’s nice to go here and have people the same as you, because when I was in elementary, I wore a cover-up on my arm because people would pick on me because of my arm,” she said, adding that she tells her doctors to tell other kids who have been burned about the camp. “I could show kids how I got burned, how my experience was and how people could prevent it from happening ever again.”

Elizabeth said that, although she was only 3 years old when she was burned, she remembers the incident.

“I was 3. I remember everything. Boiling rice poured on me. I have discoloration on my arm, leg and stomach, too,” she said.

“I do too,” said Christopher, who was 5 when he sustained his burn, after his home caught on fire.

Now 22-years-old, Christopher, who aged out of camper status four years ago, still attends camp as a junior counselor.

“I’ve been here every year,” he said.

During camp, Christopher was quick to educate about the importance of staying away from scalding water and that “stop, drop, and roll” is the appropriate measure to take if your clothes catch on fire.

“With me, I didn’t do it,” he said, adding, “Never ever, ever play with hot water.”

Although the camp is specifically for those who have endured burns, it is designed to be like any other summer camp.

“The funnest part is to be here and to be able to do stuff that we can’t do outside of camp,” said 14-year-old Nova from Rising Sun, adding that she would be interested in doing archery as an extracurricular activity, if it was available to her. “You just have to have eye coordination, and basically just aim the arrow at the target.”

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert : Camper Austin launches a plush lizzard into the air to earn tickets at the camp’s carnival while fellow camper Lincoln looks on. The nonprofit seeks to host more child burn victims from throughout the state for a free week of fun at the beach.Horseback riding and hayrides, provided by horses Romeo, Johnny Cash and Midge, are a popular part of camp.

“If the horses are here, there are certain chores we have to do for the horses. So we have to be there by 7:30 [a.m.]. Then we have to be at the dining hall at 8 for breakfast,” said Nova. “Romeo and Johnny Cash have been here since the beginning.”

On Aug. 15, the camp held a carnival, complete with games, snowcones, a popcorn machine and photo booth.

“It’s just like if they were at a real carnival,” said Hutchison. “In the games, they win tickets and we have prizes they can trade their tickets in for.”

Pranks are also a part of the camp — with a rivalry between the boys and the girls.

“We sprayed them with silly string,” said Elizabeth of a prank against the boys one year.

“That was not funny,” said 13-year-old Haiti of Bridgeville, who’s been attending camp for six years. “One year, we put frogs in their bathroom.”

John Lattomus, who helped create the camp and currently serves as its vice president, said the camp is funded entirely through donations and wouldn’t be a reality without the support of various organizations and individuals in the community.

“Dairy Queen up in Millsboro donates all the products for sundaes. We call it ‘DQ Night.’ They give us the toppings and everything. They’ve been doing that every year,” he said. Other donations include T-shirts given to each camper by Bethany Beach Surf Shop.

“People really go out of their way for this camp,” said Joe.

“It’s cool that people do that for us,” added Elizabeth.

To support the campers through their weeklong retreat, 12 volunteers and six staff members also attended the camp.

“We’re more than one-on-one. They enjoy it. We have a lot of kids who volunteer out of college. They seem to like it,” said Lattomus.

Buck Dougherty, deputy chief of the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, returned to the camp for his second summer and said it’s difficult for the camp administrators to reach out to burn victims, due to healthcare privacy laws.

“I think the biggest problem that we face is the kids are all the same. The word hasn’t gotten out about the camp. There are very few people who know it’s here,” he said, noting that many of the camp’s administrators work in the medical field and are therefore restricted by HIPPA. “For me as deputy chief, my job is not in jeopardy if I tell someone about burn camp. It would be nice to get more kids and more parents involved, and whatever else it takes to help grow this place.”

Middletown resident Stacie Kuhn, 27, has volunteered at the camp for four years, after hearing about it while working at Kent General Hospital.

“The first year, I could only come every other day. But then I made sure I took off for the whole time every year after,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun. They’re really good kids.”

Isabelle Huovinen, a recent Indian River High School graduate, volunteered for the first time this summer with her parents.

“I didn’t really do much volunteer work before. Now that I know what it entails, it’s so rewarding,” she said, definitively stating that she’ll be returning next year.

“This is awesome that we’re involved in this; we’re honored that they let us volunteer,” said her father, Steve, who’s a City of Wilmington firefighter and also aiming to return to the camp in the future. “I hope to, if they let us come back.”

John Tartufo, owner of the Country Side Café on Route 54, said volunteering at the camp is a rewarding experience, and also a very emotional one.

“They have the kids, one time before they go home, all sit around and tell their story about how they were burned. The first year I was here and listened to that, I bawled on the way home,” he said.

“It’s traumatic stories,” said Sandy Bennett, who volunteers with her husband, Wayne. Both are also members of the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company. “They are some awesome kids. We’ve learned more from them than anything we’ve taught them.”

Campers and staff alike agreed that the camp isn’t just a place where the kids go for a week every summer — it’s a family reunion.

“I like to do everything with the kids. We’ve gotten to know them because it’s the same kids coming back every year,” said Kuhn. “I look forward coming and seeing what they’ve been up to in the last year, and seeing them participate in all the things they don’t get to do unless they’re here. It’s just fun to watch them grow up.”

“It’s a great way to spend your time. At first when I came here, I didn’t know any of the kids, and instantly they love you. Everyone is just so inspirational with their stories,” added Isabelle Huovinen. “It’s literally like a big family. I’ll definitely be back next year.”

The camp also literally brought a family together — campers Nova and Elizabeth found out they were cousins.

“We didn’t know we were cousins until the first year. We didn’t know until our parents on Family Night came over and remembered each other,” said Nova with a laugh.

In future years, administrators hope to grow the camp to serve children in the larger Delmarva area who have been burned and make a difference in their lives.

“It’s a good support system for people who have been burned,” he said. “I know when I got burned I went through a lot of emotional issues. The first few months after I got burned was rough. I have really bad PTSD from my event. When I came here, seeing other kids and counselors who have gone through the same thing, it gives you that sense that you’re still normal — that you’re not that different from everyone.”

For more information on the Delaware Burn Camp, to donate to the organization, or to recommend a child who would be eligible to participate, visit www.delawareburncamp.com. The organization also can also be found on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Burn-Camp/106485009374461.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark : This is but a small sampling of the support and love local businesses have expressed in the wake of Matt Haley’s death. His impact on the competitive local restaurant industry is impossible to ignore.Memories of Matt Haley have flowed across Sussex County this week after the local chef and philanthropist died Aug. 19 from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Ladakh, India.

Restaurant and shop marquees lifted Haley’s name into the air as preparations were made for his celebration of life, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. at the Freeman Stage at Bayside. The rain date is Monday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. The event is open to the public, and the Freeman Stage can accommodate more than 2,000 people.

“Matt touched so many lives that we felt it was only right to give as many people as possible the opportunity to pay tribute to him,” said Scott Kammerer, president and COO of the Matt Haley Companies.

Organizers of the event were still firming up details mid-week, but featured speakers will include those who worked closely with Haley, both personally and professionally. His Global Delaware Fund, founded in 2011, is active locally and abroad, and many guests will represent the nonprofits that the fund and Haley supported.

“The service is a celebration,” Kammerer said. “Matt would want people to remember him with laughter, kindness and joy.”

There will be food and music. The food truck Big Thunder Roadside Kitchen — one of Haley last culinary projects — will be on hand. The sounds of Haley’s favorite music genre, Motown, will hover on the air. Delaware filmmaker Rob Waters is expected to make a film montage.

Located off of Route 54, the Freeman Stage is at 31750 Lake View Drive in Selbyville. More information is available online at www.freemanstage.com.

Meanwhile, across the county and across the Internet, people shared Haley stories, from getting their first jobs to trying new foods with him.

He bounced all over the world, from cooking on Mexico City food trucks to managing Italian business ventures to helping Nepalese women learn and find jobs so they could avoid sex slavery.

Haley’s humanitarian efforts garnered him the 2014 James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, the National Restaurant Association Education’s Foundation Cornerstone Humanitarian Award and the International Association of Culinary Professionals National Humanitarian Award — a culinary-humanitarian triple crown.

“I believe the greatest gift you can give another human being is the gift of example,” Haley said in a James Beard Foundation profile video. “It’s important for me not to tell somebody, but to show somebody how to live.”

Haley also remarked that his 20s ended with him doing crack locked in a closet, and his 30s began with a SWAT team, rehabilitation and a culinary program that taught him his passion for the next 20 years.

“He kinda had a late start in life. Look at what he achieved!” said Sue Ryan, owner of Good Earth Market. “I swear he was just beginning. He was feeling his full power, and I think he was only at the beginning. I think that’s a lesson from all of us — that we need to pick up and do our best.”

Connecting the community

Haley was all about second chances, and he didn’t waste a second.

When Good Earth opened, Haley immediately visited to suggest cooking demos. These got so popular, Ryan said, she feared the fire marshal would visit.

“What should we showcase? Let’s promote what you’re doing. Let’s show people great food and how to prepare it,” Ryan recalled him saying.

He suggested the market’s first Farm-To-Table dinner, serving local, freshly cooked food on one giant outdoor table, which Ryan said was still a new concept at the time.

“He was on the cutting edge,” said Ryan, always excited when he drove up with a new idea. “Plate Catering is still our chef partner for all our events on our farm and will continue to be. We will keep that relationship.”

In “typical Matt style,” the dinners have always benefitted local charities. Ryan said his spirit will still linger in the field at this September’s event.

Those dinners weren’t easy. Working with Haley could be stressful, but “you always work hard to do something great,” Ryan said. “He was demanding, but because he had a vision … we grew to love that and admire that in him.”

He also spoke up, praising what he liked or saying what he didn’t.

‘Go grab five watermelons’

When Haley had an idea, he didn’t hesitate but made it happen.

“He didn’t just talk about it. He executed!” Ryan said.

At one Farm-To-Table dinner, Ryan remembers him instructing her, “Sue, go grab five watermelons.” She and her staff ran off and returned to watch him chop the melon with jalapeno and lime, for one of the best courses of the evening — a complete surprise.

When he saw a picture of Nepalese children at a fundraiser, he immediately pitched in to sponsor their education. After corresponding with them, he came to love the little girls who lived 7,000 miles away, and found true love when he visited the three girls who came to call him “Papa.”

Haley’s stories flow so easily because he shared so much of himself with others, giving time and encouragement. Whether it was his initial diagnosis or his recent “cancer-free” announcement, he shared and connected himself to the people around him.

“This world is so global. He was such a big person that he saw globally,” Ryan said.

In Georgetown, the non-profit La Esperznza mourned the loss of its board president but refused to lose inspiration.

“His life and his great spirit has taught us that it is possible to rise above the most challenging circumstances, to discover and live out our gifts to the greatest degree, to live with deep commitment, joy and fearlessness and, above all, to love each other with enormous compassion,” read La Esperanza’s statement. “Such a huge loss for the state, for the country, for the world. A huge loss, because his life was such a great gift.”

“He would do anything to help you. And that’s really unique,” Ryan said.

“Matt had tremendous business responsibility and obligations,” said Zachary McCarthy at Tented Events DE, which got some of its first and continued business from Haley.

Besides succeeding in the whirlwind restaurant industry, Haley made time for individuals.

“He gave you all the time in the world,” McCarthy said. “The biggest thing for me was: when we leave this earth, what legacy are you gonna leave? … It’s the people you touch, you help out. … We all have obligations. … You should be out there helping.

“Everywhere he’s gone, he’s tried to lift people up,” he added. “That’s something we can all learn.”

In just a few weeks, Millsboro’s annual Country Festival will return to the town, bringing with it music, activities, food and more. Organized by the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce, the festival was designed to be a signature event for the town and its surrounding communities.

“We knew we needed something new and fresh, and felt this type of festival was a fit for this area,” said Amy Simmons, the Chamber’s executive director, of the creation of the event.

The festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, and kick off at 11 a.m. at the Millsboro Little League complex, where families can enjoy games, country cooking and more.

“We have great music lined up with our headlining band, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, that will be playing along with the Dirt Road Outlawz and Bo Dickerson,” said Simmons, noting that, in the event of rain, the concerts will be held at the Millsboro Town Center.

“We have a country singer from around the Annapolis area, named Brady J., who will be singing, and the bluegrass band Flatline Drive that will also be performing.”

During the various contests — including the Mountaire Chickin’ Pickin’ contest, which offers its winner a $500 cash prize — a cornhole tournament, a “Hillbilly’s Got Talent” contest and more will be available for anyone to enter. The Flea Riddin’ Bed Races will also be held down State Street.

Don’t forget to bring the kids along, as the kids’ corner will feature a rock wall, inflatables, a train, face painting and more.

“We have lots of games for the kids and teens.”

An all-day pass to the event costs $5 per person 13 or older, with those 12 or younger being admitted for free.

Fast Action Motor Sports Entertainment will be joining the festivities this year, giving attendees the opportunity to race their favorite NASCAR car.

“They are bringing in a NASCAR car-type simulator, where people will be able to get into the car and do a simulation like they’re actually in a race,” said Simmons. “They’re also bringing in a rear-wheel quarter-panel for people to use the impact wrench to take the tire on and off, just like the NASCAR guys do. They’re bringing in a 45-foot inflatable RC track. The businesses here locally have sponsored cars that people at the festival will be able to race.”

Simmons said there will be races throughout the day, with a final race between the day’s race winners at 6 p.m.

There will be many food vendors offering a variety of eats — from doughnuts, to slushies to old-fashioned barbecue.

Simmons said that, last year, more than 2,500 people attended the event, and she hopes to draw more this year.

“We far exceeded our expectations last year with attendees,” she said. “Last year, we saw multiple generations. That was the main idea from the inception of this. It was going to be family-friendly and fun for everyone. Last year we saw that — we saw multiple generations of family members there together throughout the day. That was exactly what we wanted.”

Those from far and wide are welcome to experience the one-of-a-kind festival, as Simmons said it’s an event not to be missed.

“We hope everyone comes out and enjoy a day of fun, with great entertainment and food, and enjoy themselves.”

For more information about the event, contact the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce at (302) 934-6777 or email info@millsborochamber.com.

Former Bethany Beach Mayor Tony McClenny, 70, died on the morning of Monday, Aug. 29, after battling a brain tumor that had suddenly been diagnosed in January and that had forced him to resign from the town council in February in order to seek treatment.

Coastal Point • File Photo:
Tony McClenny taught a class for technologically-challenged indivduals.McClenny’s wife, Claudia, noted on Monday that he had been a 40-year participant in a study of aging being conducted through Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, undergoing days of physical and mental testing every two years as part of that study, and that his body was being sent there for analysis before being cremated.

McClenny himself had focused on that aspect of his illness when he resigned in February, saying that he hoped that something could be learned from his situation that could be used to benefit someone else “going through similar travails” in the future.

The family will receive friends Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, at 10 a.m. at Melson’s Funeral Chapel, 38040 Muddy Neck Road, Ocean View, Del. A memorial service to celebrate McClenny’s life will follow at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, Claudia McClenny asked that donations in his honor be made to the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, either directly or through Swim Across America and its Baltimore Open Water Swim — a Sept. 21 fundraising swim in which Rebecca McClenny, wife of their son, Bernie, is participating. (Rebecca McClenny’s fundraising web page is available at http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/TR/OpenWater/Baltimore?px=1368449&....)

McClenny’s service to the town lasted more than a decade

After purchasing their home in Bethany Beach in 1984 and becoming full-time residents following his second retirement in August of 2001, McClenny got his start in the town government as a committee member, serving starting in September 2001 on the Charter & Ordinance Review Committee (CORC), and later as its vice-chairman.

In the next two years, McClenny was also named to the Board of Elections, shuttle bus committee and the newly formed Communications Committee, where he offered his technological expertise in the redevelopment of the Town’s website.

According to his own website, during the last three months of 2001, even though told it couldn’t be done, McClenny “negotiated” with the United States Post Office (USPS) for local home mail delivery to residents of town who lived east of Route 1. In January 2002, the USPS began delivery to homes east of Route 1.

McClenny was named as a member of the Bethany Beach Planning Commission in 2003, where he served until he was elected to the council in 2004. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bethany Beach Landowners’ Association from 2002 to 2004, as treasurer and membership chairman — a position he also resigned upon his election to the council.

By January 2005, he had become the council’s secretary/treasurer, as well as serving as the chairman of the Budget & Finance Committee, while continuing to serve as a member of several other committees.

“I wasn’t exactly wasn’t sure what you all were getting me into in January when you selected me as secretary and treasurer. I now have a real good idea as to why nobody else nominated themselves for that position,” he said after the council re-organizational meeting in late 2015, inducing laughter from the audience. “I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve learned a lot. And I would like to thank the other council members for being a good team.”

McClenny’s tenure on the council, and later as vice-mayor and then as mayor, was marked by efforts toward improved communication between the council and townsfolk, including the formation of the Communications Committee. After some local towns moved toward confining citizen comment to a limited period before or after all business at a given council meeting, McClenny was a force behind allowing Bethany’s citizens to continue commenting about issues when they were up for council discussion and voting.

Claudia McClenny said this week that openness in town government had been a major focus for her husband.

“He wanted to get the word out to people,” she said. “He wanted to make sure they were keeping them in the loop. He really felt that was important — that, and bringing people together.”

McClenny was chosen to become vice-mayor by the council in 2006, after just a single-two year term, and he took over the Town’s executive position in 2008. He would remain mayor until Feb. 21, 2014, when, after having presided over that day’s council meeting, he announced with an emotional reading of a letter addressed to his “dear friends,” that he would have to leave the council after more than nine years.

His letter detailed the information provided to him the day before by doctors at Johns Hopkins who were treating him for the brain tumor with which he had been diagnosed in January, after suddenly falling ill while headed out on a vacation. A month later, having been through surgery to remove the tumor, the news was grave.

“The bottom line news was totally not what yours truly had in mind,” McClenny said. “The brain tumor (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM) has proven to be far worse than I understood and, though it was removed, it is not gone. The battle with this condition is overwhelming, and the physicians explained it yesterday to our family in great detail — needless to say, I was shocked. There are no guarantees, according to the physicians, but there is always hope.”

Claudia McClenny had been a regular presence at town hall during his service to the town and was often found by his side when out in the community. In his letter, McClenny expressed his thankfulness for the “wonderful life together” he had enjoyed with his wife.

He added that there was a need to start treatment quickly, with both radiation treatment and chemotherapy. He said they hoped to continue to spend part of their time in Bethany Beach, in the company of friends, as he pursued treatment.

McClenny said his nine-plus years as a member of the council “taught me a great deal, and we worked so well together. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve our community, as well my fellow town council members and town staff members,” he concluded.

While he was noticeably physically weak after treatment began and his speech had slowed after his surgery, he remained a lively presence and continued to engage with the community, attending some council meetings and bandstand entertainment offerings through parts of the summer. In mid-August, he decided to move to a hospice, but first called the Coastal Point to ensure his letter to the editor regarding the 2014 council election was going to be published.

Anthony Burnell “Tony” McClenny Sr., N3ME, 70, of Bethany Beach, Del., died peacefully in his home on Aug. 25, 2014, after a long battle with brain cancer.

The oldest of three children, McClenny was born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., to Ernest and Anne McClenny. He grew up in a military family and attended numerous schools in the U.S. territory of Hawaii and four states before graduating from Lawton High School in Oklahoma. A dedicated Boy Scout, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 15 and remained active in the organization throughout his life.

He met his wife-to-be, Claudia Sien, at church when they were both 19 and eloped with her in 1963 to begin a marriage of 51 years. They had three children of their own and fostered numerous others. McClenny enjoyed time with his family and traveled extensively throughout the country with them and extended family.

He was a skilled Amateur Radio operator, deeply involved in the sport, including mentoring his oldest son toward professional status. He was an early computer enthusiast, had one of the first available for home use and eventually developed that interest into a business.

When he wasn’t with his family, he was busy providing for them. His first career, with the Hechinger Hardware chain, spanned 30 years from 1963 to 1993, moving from part-time employee to the company’s youngest store manager to district manager. His next endeavor was his own business, World Data Network, an Internet service provider — the essential tool for accessing the future of technology and communication.

He retired to Bethany Beach in 2000, but retire he could not. He loved the town and became involved with the town council. As he liked to say, his “third career” was serving on the town council for more than nine years and as mayor of Bethany Beach for more than five years. He stepped down from that position early in 2014, when cancer treatment claimed his energy and focus, but he continued to consult when needed.

Those who knew McClenny found him to be kind, serious, organized like no one else, focused on the best outcome but also on the needs of all involved, ready with a smile or a laugh and absolutely trustworthy. Most importantly, he was deeply rooted in his Christian faith and brought to life Christ’s bidding to “love your neighbor as yourself.” He is already missed by many.

McClenny was preceded in death by his father, Ernest McClenny, and a son, Kevin McClenny. He is survived by his mother, Anne McClenny; wife, Claudia McClenny; children, Bernie McClenny and his wife, Becky, Kristina Furey and her husband, Dan; many foster children; grandchildren Tim and Lucas Furey, and Christa and Kyle McClenny; and sisters Cindy Bowers and Bonnie Aubin.

The family will receive friends Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, at 10 a.m. at Melson’s Funeral Chapel, 38040 Muddy Neck Road, Ocean View, Del. A memorial service to celebrate McClenny’s life will follow at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to Swim Across America—Baltimore Open Swim for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (www.swimacrossamerica.org).

For 50 years, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry has been helping travelers cut miles off of a trip along the Atlantic coast. And, on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 7 to 9 p.m., the South Bethany Historical Society (SBHS) will host a free history talk on the ferry’s half-century of service at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach.

The talk will be presented by Mike DiPaolo, the executive director of the Lewes Historical Society.

“He came down to talk to us about preservation, about our materials,” said Maria Johansen, president of the SBHS. “After we had the meeting with him, before he left, he offered to do this talk. He said he had this presentation ready to do and would be willing to do it down here.”

The 17-mile, 85-minute cruise between the New Jersey and Delaware shores has served more than 11 million vehicles and 34 million passengers during its existence.

“I think people would really enjoy it. It’s just a nice piece to listen to for all of us. We’ve probably all taken the ferry at one time or another. Just to hear the background, how it all came together, and how long it took them to pull it off — I think everyone would be interested in hearing about it.”

SBHS tries to host two historical talks every year, to help educate the community in regards to the past.

“The next one in October — Dr. Clara Small will be talking about the Underground Railroad,” said Johansen. “We feel it’s an ongoing process to keep educating the public and all those around us. People see a need for that and seem to really enjoy it.”

Johansen said that the society’s mission is to “create interest in the history of South Bethany through improving awareness of the history of the coastal community.”

“We do that by sponsoring two programs on the coastal areas during the year. We also collaborate with the other coastal towns,” she said, noting the society has been researching the development of the town’s canals.

Last summer, the society worked with other area towns to host the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “The Way We Worked.” From that collaboration, Johansen said the towns and societies hope to join together to create a museum that shares the history of the local coastal towns.

“We’ve been pulling together to work on the Coastal Towns Museum,” she said, adding of SBHS, “One of our big goals would be to collect artifacts and request donations of them from around the time the town was first developed in 1959…

“We only have three artifacts,” she noted of the collection thus far. “One was a T-shirt that was hand-painted by Tempe Steen’s sister many years ago. Another is a red metal lifesaving buoy from the old days when the lifeguards started here, and we have the Bible that May Felerski used — the town’s unofficial first mayor. That was just donated to us.”

The society also does a number of fundraising efforts that also help educate the public on the town. Currently, the society is selling reproductions of old street signs from the town and is holding an art auction, and it publishes a yearly calendar of old photos taken in South Bethany.

“This year, we had a calendar contest, and people in South Bethany took pictures all over the town.”

In June 2014, the society published “The Best Little Beach in Delaware,” a book about the history of the Town of South Bethany, which includes old photographs and interviews with longtime residents. The book can be purchased for $25 at McCabe’s Gourmet Market and Made by Hand in the York Beach Mall in South Bethany, as well as at Jayne’s Reliable in Dagsboro.

The South Bethany Historical Society meets on the second Friday of every month at 10 a.m. at South Bethany town hall. Currently, there are 60 members, with approximately 20 active members.

“We’ve been a pretty active little group. We have a lot of very, very hard workers. In a small period of time, we’ve been able to accomplish quite a bit. I’m very proud of the group that I work with.”

Johansen said she hopes that many people attend the history talk and learn more about their community, and the local ferry that had helped transform how people travel to and from the Delaware beaches.

“I hope there will be a good attendance. I just think it’s something that everyone could enjoy and benefit from.”

The South Coastal Library is located at 42 Kent Avenue in Bethany Beach. Those who are interested in becoming members of the South Bethany Historical Society may contact Johansen at (302) 539-8294 or at BethanyBabeJ@aol.com. For more information on the South Bethany Historical Society, visit http://sbpoa.sharepoint.com/Pages/SBHistoricalSociety.aspx.

Bethany Beach Town Council members at their Aug. 15 meeting voted unanimously to adopt two revised regulations regarding recreational activities on the town’s beach.
One gives lifeguards more discretion for allowing the playing of throwing games during lifeguard hours. The other removes specific hours for prohibitions on surfing and other similar activities but prohibits them during all hours when lifeguards are on duty.
Council members expressed unanimous support for giving lifeguards the discretion to allow or prohibit the playing of ball games or other throwing games on the beach and in the water, though Councilwoman Margaret Young said she felt the areas in and near the water were of greater concern.
“They’re in a contained space. They can’t move to get out of the way. They’re in more danger of being hit,” she said of bystanders.
Councilman Chuck Peterson emphasized that the revised ordinance does give the lifeguards the ability to put an end to games being played in the water, while Mayor Jack Gordon said that, in his experience, “All the times now when people are playing in the water, they’re stopped” during lifeguard hours.
Councilman Lew Killmer said he felt the change to potentially allow games to be played was needed.
“I think this is a better way of handling it,” he said. “Many times there’s nobody on the beach, and the way it is now, you can’t do anything. It goes along with being a family-oriented community.”
Gordon said that the beach is also larger than it was in the past, thanks to the beach reconstruction and replenishment projects of the last decade. “When this was passed, we didn’t have the beach we have now,” he added.
“There are times when nobody is there,” Killmer emphasized, noting times when kids were playing with soft foam balls, “and they were stopped. If the conditions permit, the lifeguard has the discretion to say yes or no,” he reiterated.

Board sports prohibited during lifeguard hours

The council also voted unanimously on Aug. 15 to approve on its second reading a revised ordinance regarding surfing and activities using similar devices, such as skimboards, paddleboards, kiteboards and kayaks.
The Town already prohibited surfing and related activities during summer hours when lifeguards are typically on duty to protect swimmers, but the change adopted at the August council meeting eliminates the specific hours that were enumerated in the prior version of the code and instead prohibits the activities whenever lifeguards are on duty.
The proposed ordinance also included definitions for the various devices, including defining as “hard” any board containing wood, metal or fiberglass. “Soft” devices — such as soft-sided bodyboards, as well as inflatable rafts and foam mats — are exempt from the provision and can be used during lifeguard hours.
Council members were provided by Bethany Surf Shop with examples of a skimboard and a bodyboard for reference during their consideration of the ordinance. Gordon noted that the skimboard provided wasn’t the plain, flat wooden board he’d seen most often used in the town, with Town Manager Cliff Graviet explaining that the example was a higher-end board.
Bethany Surf Shop owner Jim McGrath offered some input on the variations of hard and soft bodyboards when Gordon asked about ones with a spongy top.
“A long time ago, they made ones that were shaped just like that but made just like a surfboard,” McGrath explained of the hard boards. “You don’t see them around too much anymore, but they are around. They’re basically little surfboards,” he said.
Councilwoman Rosemary Hardiman said she felt the new definitions offered clarity and that the new ordinance was an improvement. Having spoken recently to lifeguards about the issue, she said, they hadn’t said there was a problem with bodyboards so much as skimboards.
She also asked for confirmation that the new ordinance removed a requirement for such devices to have leashes. Peterson confirmed that the requirement had been removed. Gordon, who had noted in the past how rarely he saw leashes on the devices, asked McGrath how many were sold with leashes these days. McGrath said many are and some people do use them. But the council favored removing the requirement to do so.
“I very seldom see anyone using the leashes,” Killmer said.
Young said she was particularly relieved that the skimboards were banned.
“I’m glad about the skimboards being banned, because they’re dangerous. People ride them at the edge of the water, parallel to the water, where a lot of people stand — especially with young children,” she said, adding that the riders are often young people “who don’t have the maturity to see that they might hit people, and they have to move out of the way very fast.”
Graviet emphasized that the prohibition on skimboards isn’t a change. “Skimboards have always been banned during lifeguard hours,” he said.
Also at the Aug. 15 council meeting:
• Councilman Jerry Dorfman offered details from the agreement reached between the Bethany Boardwalk Group LLC and the Town regarding fees due to the Town for the hotel currently under construction on the former Bethany Arms Motel site.
The $791,064.60 in building permit fees, transfer taxes and water impact fees will be paid in four payments of $197,766.55, with the first payment already received by the town and the others to be paid every 12 months until the final payment in July of 2017.
He noted that the full amount of roughly $791,000 was being reported in the Town’s July financial report, in accordance with standard accounting procedures, resulting in a higher-than-usual figure for revenue for the Town for July 2014.
• The council unanimously approved the Town’s tax adjustment list, including new tax amounts for eight new or remodeled homes. Hardiman questioned why some of the homes had been built or renovated as long ago as 2012 but were on a 2014 tax adjustment list, and Graviet explained that the delay was due to some open-ended certificates of occupancy that the Town had recently closed out.
• Gordon encouraged those who won’t be in town on Sept. 6 to take advantage of absentee balloting in person for voting in the annual council election.
“If you’re going to be here over next X weeks, this process can allow you to do things much quicker than by mail,” he said, noting that town hall is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as being open on recent Saturdays, including Aug. 30, to accept requests for absentee ballots.
“You can pick one up and fill it out here and turn it in to the town employee, at which time you can receive an absentee ballot form and can vote at that point in time,” he explained, reminding voters who do so to follow the more exacting absentee ballot directions closely. The ballot can then be turned in to a town employee, right on the spot. “So you’ve taken care of the whole thing,” he said.
The council also reminded voters to make sure they have their picture ID in-hand for voting absentee or by machine on Sept. 6, when voting will take place between noon and 6 p.m. at town hall.
Due to the election, no regular council meeting is planned for September, as per usual, but the council does have the option to call one if it is determined to be needed.
• Graviet reported that plans for the Town’s 2014 paving project don’t include any significant work, as the Town is queuing up resources for a major project planned for 2015 — the complete repaving of Halfmoon Drive in Bethany West. The minor projects planned for 2014 will be funded with Town monies and slightly reduced Municipal Street Aid funding.
• The town manager also reported occasional complaints about the status of the accessibility-enhancing Mobi Mats at the beach dune crossings, saying that there were routine problems with the sand at the end of the mats moving. “Public Works tries to stay on top of it. It’s on a schedule,” he said, noting that some crossings are worse than others, generating some complaints about people stepping off the mats and tripping due to the lack of soft sand.
• Graviet offered praise for Town Horticulturist Melina Linda, saying she had done “an exceptional job” of keeping the Town’s plantings in good shape in summer, “when it’s so difficult to keep things vibrant and alive.” He noted the work it takes just to keep the many hanging baskets alive and made light of a complaint that the town was “beginning to look like Disney World” as a sign the work is paying off.
• He also reported strong growth in use of the ParkMobile parking payment system in its first year of use by the Town. In mid-July, he said, about 199 people were using it daily, with that figure up to 276 per day by mid-August. As of Aug. 11, nearly 10,000 people had used it. “It’s a great option. You don’t have to carry change or worry about anything,” he said, noting that the Town was continuing to work on some minor glitches involving cell and Wi-Fi coverage. “It’s becoming a practical alternative to putting money in the meters or using the pay-to-park stubs.”
• Graviet said work was under way to install a 12.5-by-50-inch digital sign on the north side of the guard house on the boardwalk plaza, facing Mango’s, which the Town will use to announce evening events but primarily when they have cancelations because of weather “or other things beyond our control. We don’t have good way to make notifications for people in the area of the bandstand,” he said of the present circumstances, noting that the board’s content can be loaded remotely, so it doesn’t require staff to go to the guard house to make changes.
• Cultural & Historical Affairs Committee Chairwoman Carol Olmstead reported on the group’s July 27 meeting, noting the finalization of plans for Périers Day the following Sunday, honoring the town’s “twin” in France. She said the event had been well-received, with many people in attendance and the two caricature artists having been kept busy. French music was offered that afternoon, as well.
Resident Diana Cowell also reported on Aug. 15 on her recent trip to Périers, France, with a gift for the Town from its mayor — a book about D-Day, which that town had recently honored with a 70th anniversary celebration. Cowell said she had taken part in a daylong celebration of the anniversary and found that the French town would offer a warm welcome to anyone from Bethany who visited there.
Olmstead also reported on Aug. 15 that the committee had on July 27 reviewed changes they had asked to be made in the completed oral history project DVD, which has reached its final stages after five years of planning and work. She said it should soon be loaded on the kiosk in the town museum.
The committee also discussed joint work on the planned coastal towns museum, with ongoing discussion of the various responsibilities of the participating towns and the funding for the museum. Additionally, plans are to create a webpage for the town’s own museum at town hall.
The group will meet next on Sept. 9.

Those who have traveled Ocean View’s Woodland Avenue Extended may have experienced speeding vehicles, along with bicyclists and pedestrians trying to navigate the road.

During the Town’s July council meeting, Mayor Walter Curran told council he had received correspondence from concerned residents who were worried about the road’s safety.

“Woodland Avenue is a difficult road. It’s narrow, it bends severely and the road’s surface has deteriorated over the years,” said Councilman Bob Lawless. “It’s a bypass of Route 26, getting people from West Avenue over to Central and vice-versa. It’s a shortcut for Hunters Run, Providence and the other developments on Muddy Neck to get to the Giant and Food Lion in the summertime.”

In an effort to address citizens’ concerns, the Town will hold a workshop on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. in town hall.

“I brought this idea to the council a couple of years ago, to the consternation of the community. There were torches and pitchforks and bonfires, all sorts of things,” he Lawless said with a note of hyperbole. “Now’s the time to bring it up again. Our mayor, Walter Curran suggested that, rather than us just make the decision and change it, as we have the right to do, we ought to invite comment from those potentially affected.”

Lawless said the issues on Woodland Avenue Extended are not new, and the Town had previously discussed the possibility of making the street one-way.

“The object of the exercise is to get all those people who will jump up and down and be ready to hang me in effigy to come to the workshop and express the alternatives that they see to the problem. It could be one-way going from Central over to West; it could be one-way going the other way.”

Lawless asked that those who attend come prepared with thoughts and suggestions for how to address the issue.

“Nevertheless, we’d like anyone who uses Woodland Avenue between Central and West to come to the town hall, and think about it beforehand,” he said. “It’s not helpful to stand in council and say, ‘But I will be inconvenienced.’ It will be an inconvenience for everyone. Let’s hear you. Let’s hear what you have to say. Come up with some thoughts.”

Along with changing Woodland to a one-way street, Lawelss said other residents have already made alternative suggestions, such as installing speed bumps.

“The Millville Volunteer Fire Company strongly recommends that we have traffic move from Central Avenue over to West, in order to facilitate their movement of emergency vehicles when they’re traveling to that area of town,” he said.

“The more the merrier,” he added of those who may attend the workshop. “The purpose of the workshop is to hear from you. I don’t want to hear from the community six months after we enacted an ordinance one way or another: ‘Well, no one ever told me.’”

Lawless said the Town hopes to have a large turnout of residents who may be effected by any change made to the road.

“I ask the community: If you have concerns about this issue, come to the meeting. Be prepared, think though what your alternative plans are and let us know.”

Ocean View Town Hall is located at 32 West Avenue. For those who are unable to attend the meeting, comments may be sent to town officials by visiting
http://www.oceanviewde.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.map&map
TypeID=20022.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark : South Bethany resident Lori Cicero came up with the idea to put a little library near town hall, and the town’s Community Enhancement Committee agreed to have one installed. Residents and visitors can stop by and take or leave a book at any time.Residents and visitors to South Bethany no longer have to travel to neighboring communities to enjoy the offerings of a library. Last week, the town’s Free Little Library was installed on Evergreen Road, near town hall, welcoming community members to enjoy free books at their leisure.

“This idea was brought to the Community Enhancement Committee by one of our members, Lori Cicero,” said Councilwoman Sue Callaway, who chairs the committee.

Cicero said she had seen similar little libraries over the last few years, and thought the concept would work well for the town.

“I walk my dog at Northside Park and saw it again last year. I thought, you know, this would be a nice thing for the community.”

The concept is, provide a box somewhere in a community, where books may be taken or shared free of charge.

“It’s supposed to be take a book or leave a book… or not. But they’re there to take,” she said. “It’s like a service to the community.”

Cicero brought the idea to the Community Enhancement Committee (CEC), where it was embraced, and fellow committee member Pat Weisgerber volunteered her husband’s woodworking skills for the job.

“I volunteered him, and he did the rest of the work,” she said. “I thought, ‘He can do that.’ He likes to work with wood, and he has the tools and the wood, so why not?”

“The first thing I did after I was volunteered was I Googled ‘little libraries’ because I didn’t want to build a new mousetrap, which led me to the website,” said Frank Weisgerber of the site at www.littlefreelibrary.org. “I saw it was a worldwide effort and was pretty impressed with it. I contacted Sue and said, ‘How about we become a member of this organization?’”

Weisgerber said the website had close to 15,000 pictures of little libraries all over the world, which gave him ideas about how to design the town’s.

“In Delaware, there are a couple,” he said. “We went and looked at the one in Rehoboth to get a feel for it and see how high we wanted to put it.”

Through littlefreelibraries.org, the Town was able to register its own little library, which will so have a plaque displaying its registration number, and be placed on the site’s library map.

Weisgerber said he constructed the little library in an Amish shed style to help keep moisture at bay, thus prolonging the life of the books.

“With the shed design, the roof is one solid piece so it won’t leak, where with an A-frame ones you’d have to worry about where the joints are,” he explained. “Thinking that we’re putting books in this, we wanted to make sure we kept the inside free of moisture.”

Weisgerber said that the little library is constructed out of cypress wood, which is not only beautiful but functional.

“One of the things I was after was our maintenance guys have enough to do — I didn’t want them to worry about taking care of it,” he said. “The wood is naturally insect repellant and weathers real well.”

The salvaged cypress was purchased at Eric Clark’s Got Wood in Millsboro.

“It’s a father-son sawmill, and they salvage from different places. They had just salvaged some cypress and cut the planks down for me.”

Weisgerber said the little library took approximately eight to 10 hours to build.

“We’re tickled with it,” he said. “It came out really well. I’m really pleased with it.”

The wood and labor the Weisgerber’s donated to the Town, because they believed the program would have a positive impact on their community.

“It’s a place for people to socialize, meet other homeowners, and get an opportunity to talk to vacationers,” he said. “You read a book and enjoy it, you like to share it with someone else, rather than just put it on a shelf,” he said. “If you see something you think you’d like, take it. If you have something you think someone else would enjoy, leave it.”

The little library holds about two dozen books, offering community members everything from kids’ stories to thrillers.

“It does create a place for people to gather. So it’s just another way for neighbors to get to know each other and see another idea in their town that’s positive and creates a sense of community,” said Callaway.

Now that it’s installed, Cicero, who is the steward of the library, will be maintaining the books.

“I’m going past every day, straightening them,” she said, adding that the library has been used quite often since its installation. “The first day, there was activity, which is great.”

Mayor Pat Voveris said the project was just another endeavor of the CEC and the town’s large volunteer community.

“It’s all volunteerism,” she said. “You have people who are committed to improving and engaging the community. There’s a lot of thought that goes behind it. How we’re unique is in our owners and residents. It’s the people that come up with these ideas. It’s a wonderful thing.”

Voveris herself donated 42 books to the little library and is happy that it has been so well received by residents and visitors.

“I think we have a lot of readers in town, so the idea is we’ll keep it plentiful.”

“I’m hoping if the renters come and don’t have something to read, now they’ll have something,” added Cicero.

At the dedication ceremony, Voveris thanked those involved in the project for giving back to their community in the best way.

“Thanks for enhancing our enjoyment, our intellect and our communication,” she said. “To me this is a great small-town project. To me this is what volunteerism is all about. I’m very proud this is what we’re doing for our community.”

For more information about the Little Free Library, visit
www.littlefreelibrary.org.

The Delaware State Police this week arrested a registered Tier 2 sex offender living near Millsboro after an investigation revealed alleged sexual abuse of a child in his care.

Detectives with the Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit in Georgetown arrested John T. King, 65, of Millsboro, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, after an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of a 3-year-old girl followed an examination of the girl at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital on Friday, Aug. 22. Police said the examination was conducted due to some complaints of soreness in the girl’s lower body.

According to the DSP, the examination and investigation suggested that the child had been subjected to sexual activity for a period of time and revealed that she had been under the periodic care of King, who is a non-familial friend of the victim’s mother.

King, who was already registered as a medium-risk Tier 2 sex offender, turned himself in at Troop 4 and was charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact by a Sex Offender and three counts of Sexual Abuse by a Person of Trust. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution for lack of $220,000 cash bond.

In an unusually busy primary election day for Delawareans, voters on Sept. 9 will decide which candidates will represent their parties in more than a half-dozen races in November, including candidates for U.S. senator, State Treasurer, Delaware Auditor of Accounts, Sussex County Register of Wills, Sussex County Council District 5 and Sussex County Sheriff.

Only registered Democrats can vote in each Democratic primary. Only registered Republicans can vote in each Republican primary. Races in which there is only one remaining candidate in a given party, including the Democratic candidate for State Treasurer this year, will not have a primary election. Aug. 18 was the last day to register to vote before the primary. The deadline to change party affiliation in Delaware is the last Friday in May. Voters can change their party affiliation again after the primary.

Primary voting will take place at the polling places assigned to voters on their State-issued Polling Place Card. Primary voters can also use the on-line Polling Place locator at (http://ivote.de.gov/) to find out where they vote and to view a sample ballot. A list of polling places is available online at http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/polling_places/2014/2014_primary.pdf. More voting information can be obtained by calling the State Department of Elections at (302) 577-3464.

To help inform voters ahead of the casting of ballots on Sept. 9, the Coastal Point posed a series of questions to each of the primary candidates for U.S. senator, State Treasurer, Delaware Auditor of Accounts, Sussex County Register of Wills and Sussex County Council District 5. Because of space concerns, we are listing the responses for Sussex County Council candidates here, and will have all the other responses posted online at www.coastalpoint.com. Here are the responses, in alphabetical order by candidate’s last name:

Sussex County Council District 5 Republican Primary

Rob Arlett

Q. What qualifies you for the position of District 5 county councilman?

A. I am a natural leader, a risk-taker and a reasonable, thoughtful person. I know what kinds of issues come before the council because I studied this both from a professional point of view as a Realtor with my own business and as a citizen.

Just because I haven’t lived here all of my life doesn’t mean I don’t understand land and property issues, environmental concerns and, maybe most importantly, economic development. I understand the delicate balance among these public questions, and I believe I have new energy and ideas to offset the old ways of doing business in Sussex County. I honor the past, but I would like to see Sussex County — particularly the western side of the county — come into its own.

They have the magnificent Nanticoke River over on the western side of the county and a lot of people who would like to see development of tourism, the arts and improvement of schools. Until they get manufacturing jobs coming in, with people who care how their quality of life is, not much will happen. Under Mr. Phillips’s tutelage, the western side of the county has lost its energy and economic vitality; it is time to build a better life for both sides of the county.

Q. What is the most pressing issue you believe is facing the county and how do you hope to address it?

A. Economic vitality is the most pressing issue. Environmental balance is also important. We can do both. Bringing broadband infrastructure to the western side of the county is one specific issue.

Q. It has been suggest that the County is in need of a code of ethics. Please explain your position on the matter.

A. Presently, the county council lacks transparency. They say there is a code of ethics from the State, but the people I talk to across District 5 don’t seem to know the process by which each member spends allocated funds on their favorite charities or projects. I believe every disbursement should reflect the vote of the full council. People need to know how the taxpayer money is spent.

Q. Where do you see Sussex County going in the next 10, 15, 20 years?

A. I see a bright future for Sussex County. It’s on the edge of becoming a leader in many ways: Not just agriculture, which is important, but tourism and economic development. This is a wonderful place to live and those of us that can should take responsibility for developing a vital business plan while keeping our quality of life. My hope and prayer is that we can bring enough jobs so that our growing kids don’t have to leave their home state to find work.

Q. Countywide property reassessments haven’t been conducted since 1974 — do you think the county needs a reassessment? Explain.

A. Well, I know my opponent is against the assessments because he believes it would lead to higher taxes. I’m not sure about that. Maybe it’s time to update the status — again, both of the eastern and western sides of the county. The disparity between the two would be revealed by an assessment.

Property values, small businesses and the lack of jobs are all problems in western Sussex, and it’s not a good thing for its citizens. The schools are struggling, as well as the county infrastructure. Maybe it’s time to reassess all of this — it could lead to innovation and upgrading of, as I said before, a wonderful place to live. There are a lot of good people in western Sussex that would like to see more interest in their areas.

Vance Phillips

Q. What qualifies you for the position of District 5 county councilman?

A. Vance Phillips has a proven track record of keeping taxes low and serving his constituents in the Fifth District. I am the taxpayers’ best friend and as a sixth-generation Sussex Countian; my roots run deep. I have a profound interest in serving Sussex Countians, both old and new.

Experience counts for a lot and, through my efforts over the years, I know how to get things done. Be it getting clean water for residents in Shady Grove apartments in Selbyville, cleaning up dilapidated mobile homes in Swann Keys or helping flood victims keep their homes in Mallard Lakes, I have spent countless hours helping and, sometimes, fighting for my constituents. Finally, I have never raised taxes, and I never will.

Q. What is the most pressing issue you believe is facing the county and how do you hope to address it?

A. A destructive phenomena I call “Liberal Creep” has taken over Washington, D.C., and Dover, and if proven conservatives like me are not re-elected, Sussex County, too, can fall prey to the “Progressives.” This will lead to a government of, for and by the bureaucracy and not The People.

Spending will increase for many feel-good government programs, which will then require new bureaucrats to manage them. Surpluses will evaporate and reserves will increasingly be tapped. Then taxes will begin to increase. Slowly at first, but then at an accelerated pace and in many unconventional forms. As taxes rise, businesses suffer and so do good-paying jobs.

This is a pitched battle in America, and Sussex County is one of the few remaining bastions of conservative good government around. Please elect me and I will continue to keep your taxes low.

Q. It has been suggested that the County is in need of a code of ethics. Please explain your position on the matter.

A. The Sussex County Council recently heard a presentation from a representative of the State’s Public Integrity Commission. A cursory review of the process employed by the PIC in enforcing the State Code of Ethics was helpful for the public’s understanding. Upon my request, a three-hour public workshop is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2014, to review the State Code of Ethics, which oversees the vast majority of governing bodies in the State of Delaware.

If I find anything wrong with the State Code, I will offer an amendment for Council consideration. I encourage the public to attend this workshop and offer me your opinions following the meeting.

Q. Where do you see Sussex County going in the next 10, 15, 20 years?

A. I am very optimistic about the future in Sussex County if we can maintain a conservative government. With that said, change is coming.

Technological advances in today’s society will completely alter how we live in the coming years. Broadband availability will reach every corner of the county as companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple race to develop this lucrative market. Advances in medicine will allow our seniors to enjoy the very best healthcare in Sussex County and nearby research hospitals, like John’s Hopkins. The merger of computers and agriculture is already changing the way farmers produce crops and do business with markets both near and far.

The one thing that will not change is the sun and the beach, barring acts of God which no one can foresee. This means we will continue to be a destination for millions of visitors, placing a tremendous burden on our transportation infrastructure.

In this area, the State must stop robbing the Transportation Trust Fund to feed its bloated bureaucracies. Until the State will meet its obligation by repaying the misappropriated money to the Transportation Trust Fund and using this dedicated fund on capital road improvements, we will continue to see gridlock throughout the summer months.

Q. Countywide property reassessments haven’t been conducted since 1974 — do you think the county needs a reassessment? Explain.

A. No. Reassessment eventually leads to higher taxes in nearly all cases, despite proponents’ assertions. I am the taxpayers’ best friend and will fight against higher taxes no matter what they are called or in whatever form they are derived.

Sussex County Council District 5 Democratic Primary

Brad Connor

Q. What qualifies you for the position of District 5 county councilman?

A. I am the mayor of the Town of Dagsboro, Del., and previously Dagsboro council member with a total of 20 years as an elected official in Dagsboro. I am the past president of SCAT (Sussex County Association of Towns); vice president, Delaware League of Local Governments; and past president, Southern Sussex Rotary. None of these positions have been appointed positions. I have been elected in non-partisan elections for the past 20 years. I have not received compensation in the form of a salary for any of them.

I was able through my work with the state and federal governments to bring back 97 percent funding for water and sewer for the Town of Dagsboro. We have the cheapest rates in Sussex County. I am ready to bring my skills to Sussex County.

Q. What is the most pressing issue you believe is facing the county and how do you hope to address it?

A. Jobs are my No. 1 issue. We need to staff the office of Economic Development in the County with someone with a track record and prior experience in bringing/creating jobs. We then need to begin working with the State Office of Economic Development to develop a plan for bringing good-paying jobs to our County. I have worked with the State before and I know that if we establish a working relationship we can make things happen. Our children are graduating from our colleges and leaving, because there are no good-paying jobs in our county.

Through my work in Dagsboro, I have lowered the fees for businesses and we now have three new businesses opening on Main Street in our town. Again, I am ready to bring these skills to Sussex County.

Q. It has been suggested that the County is in need of a code of ethics. Please explain your position on the matter.

A. I am the candidate who first proposed a Sussex County Code of Ethics and, if elected, I plan to make it my first piece of legislation. First, a Sussex County Code of Ethics would help ensure that elected and appointed officials use public office for service to the public good, not for personal or private gain.

I’ve done research, and the City of Dover’s code is a good model, approved by the State. The only cost is for the City attorney to attend the hearings. Because they have such a strong code, there have only been about five hearings in the last several years. I have received strong feedback about this issue, and comments that the State code is cumbersome and drawn out and can be costly to an individual who files a complaint.

Q. Where do you see Sussex County going in the next 10, 15, 20 years?

This council has only focused on development on the east side and low taxes. We can keep our taxes low by other means. As stated above, we need to develop good-paying jobs on our side of the county and we need to expand some of the housing development including affordable housing.

I want to work with the State to develop business and industrial parks to provide employment for our children and grandchildren. They, in turn, will stay here, buy houses and pay their taxes! It is time to take care of our people in Laurel, Delmar, Selbyville and the other small towns in my district. This is where I will put my efforts.

Q. Countywide property reassessments haven’t been conducted since 1974 — do you think the county needs a reassessment? Explain.

Reassessments for our county could be a costly endeavor in the millions of dollars. Then there would also be a long and tedious appeals process. No, I would not support a reassessment at this time.

Bob Wheatley

Q. What qualifies you for the position of District 5 county councilman?

A. With 20 years’ County-level experience on the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission, the last nine as chairman, I’m uniquely qualified to serve on County Council. Land-use issues comprise the bulk of County Council’s work, and I will arrive with a thorough knowledge of the issues and the ordinances that govern them.

My business experience has provided me with the sound fiscal and management skills needed to do the job well. I am a proven leader in county government, in business and in the community, with the ability to think creatively to develop solutions that make life better for the people of Sussex County.

Q. What is the most pressing issue you believe is facing the county and how do you hope to address it?

A. As I walk the district, it seems the most urgent issue is jobs, followed very closely by land use. The avenue to job creation is the County’s economic development effort, yet we spend less than $100,000 per year on it, including personnel.

The Economic Development Office is unstaffed at this time, so let’s take this opportunity to reinvent economic development in Sussex, making it a function of the whole community. Let’s invest that same $100,000 in a public-private partnership initiative including the County, towns, educational institutions and existing businesses through SEDAC or a new task force.

With the County taking the lead and each member contributing financially, there will be funds for both personnel and program to address broadband access, utilities and other essentials needed to attract new manufacturing jobs and expand existing companies, and to promote Sussex as the best place to be.

By getting manufacturing companies to locate in Sussex, we will be growing our tax base and actually creating more organic economic activity through the “multiplier effect” than we get from the same investment in resort/retirement housing. Ultimately, it will give us the added benefit of reducing our dependence on the transfer tax. So, let’s pool our financial and creative resources to get more bang for our job-creation buck!

Q. It has been suggested that the County is in need of a code of ethics. Please explain your position on the matter.

A. Sussex County already has a code of ethics — the state code of ethics found in Title 29, Chapter 58, of the Delaware Code, which applies to all county and town officeholders and employees and is administered by the State Public Integrity Commission. The State Commission has years of independent, non-partisan collective experience in administering the code and its process, all of which it provides at no cost to the county.

Recently the Public Integrity Commission made a thorough presentation to County Council. I was there. I wish my opponent had been there, too, as he would have learned why the state code and the Public Integrity Commission serve us well. It looks like County Council is going to take the State Commission up on its offer to provide in-depth code of ethics training for county officeholders and employees, also at no cost to the County. Great idea! That’s what we really need.

There is another really good reason to continue to rely on the state code and the Public Integrity Commission. Having the process occur at the state level, one step removed from County government, ensures that it remains truly independent and free of local politics. That too is a great idea.

Q. Where do you see Sussex County going in the next 10, 15, 20 years?

A. From 2000 to 2010, the population of Sussex County grew by a whopping 25 percent. In the last four years, the population has grown by the much more sustainable rate of 1 to 1.5 percent, a trend that I believe will continue for the next few years, but could increase as the economy improves. The Baby Boomer generation will continue to retire to Sussex for our beaches and lower cost of living until 2030 or so, when the last of them reach retirement age.

If managed and incentivized correctly, development east of Route 113 will moderate, and western Sussex, with its small-town rural lifestyle and relative proximity to the shore will experience some of this growth as beach prices continue to rise. The generation following the Boomers is a good bit smaller, so the in-migration of new people perhaps will abate and with it demand for new places in the sun.

It is likely that we will see new types of housing emerge as the population chooses to “age in place.” Concepts like “co-housing,” smaller individual spaces with certain shared facilities and amenities that are easy to maintain and easy to transfer, will require us to adjust our zoning and housing ordinances. Also, the environmental concerns that accompany growth will play an increasingly significant role in land-use policy.

A growing and aging population will place greater burdens on our fire and emergency medical services. I shudder to think what our taxes would be if we had to pay for everything our volunteer fire services do! Our EMS system will have to grow along with the population so we can continue to provide the excellent service we do today.

If we get our economic development act together, economic growth in Sussex, western and central in particular, will be augmented by the location of new and the expansion of existing manufacturers in areas specifically designated for them with all the necessary utilizes and amenities to support thriving businesses.

Good-paying jobs and an expanding tax base will be the rewards. Poultry will continue to be an economic mainstay of our county as will crop farming and other agricultural activities. Technology will continue to impact nearly everything we do, and we will have to make a conscious effort to keep up and stay competitive.

Infrastructure over the next 20 years will continue to be a challenge because it is expensive and it requires coordination between federal, state and local governments to make it happen with a minimum of waste and confusion.

Change is constant, but it doesn’t have to cataclysmic. We see what is coming and if we start while we still have time to research the issues, consider the alternatives, and put the right policies in place incrementally, we can control the pace of change and effect a smooth transition from today to tomorrow.

Specifically, I will work to reinvent and reinvigorate our economic development efforts, reason our way together through the tough land-use issues, put a planning coordinator in place, support our fire service to keep it growing, fine-tune our EMS every year, and help our agri-businesses stay strong.

How will Sussex County look in 10, 15, 20 years? If we do those things, it will look just fine!

Q. Countywide property reassessments haven’t been conducted since 1974 — do you think the county needs a reassessment? Explain.

A. Reassessment is a complicated and difficult issue to understand, especially in Sussex County! I know this first hand, having recently researched the issue. It is very important to note that the county government would not be the sole beneficiary of a reassessment, since the school districts and the municipalities would use it, too; but first, a little history.

The last assessment was in 1974 and was performed at a cost of $3 million paid by the County to an outside firm. There were over 6,000 valuation challenge hearings that delayed implementation of the assessment until 1977. No mechanism for an actual reassessment was put in place and since no one was anxious to repeat the experience, they didn’t.

During the Carper administration, at the behest of the school districts, the State offered to pay for a statewide reassessment. The cost of the Sussex County portion was budgeted at $25 million. Unfortunately, money became scarce and the offer was withdrawn.

When we think of an “assessment,” we tend to think of it in terms of an appraisal that establishes the market value of property, which will form the basis upon which property tax is calculated. In many places, that is exactly what happens; the government takes the estimated budget for the fiscal year and divides it by the total value of all the real property to calculate the tax rate.

Not so in Sussex County. In the base year 1974, the market value was established for all existing properties, and then the assessed value was determined by taking the market value and subtracting the estimated cost of labor to construct the improvements (house, buildings, etc.) from the market value to determine the assessed value.

Every year since 1974, the assessed value of every new home or commercial building is established by discounting the actual cost of the improvements back to 1974 levels (there is a published formula for doing this every year) then subtracting the estimated 1974 cost of labor to construct the improvements. Add to that figure the 1974 assessed value of the land to get the current assessed value of the property. We are taxed on only 50 percent of that assessed value.

Reassessment by its nature will change the way we calculate assessments. The popular notion is that the east side of the county will bear the brunt of the resulting increase, but that is not necessarily so, given the way we do assessments now.

The improvements existing in 1974 went into the system at their depreciated market value, not their replacement cost. New properties go onto the system at the actual cost of improvements, which is essentially the same as replacement cost, reduced to 1974 value. This indicates that the increase will be more dramatic for older 1974 properties than for the newer ones, perhaps excepting those properties with the very highest land values.

That being said, the County is required by state law to assess all properties at their true value in money. Whether the assessment is a new one or a new property with its value being reduced to what it may have been worth 40 years ago, the process does seem questionable if there is not a periodic review of sales data and a physical validation of the assessments.

The county’s school districts and its towns use the County’s assessments, but at least four towns have chosen to do their own, and the difference in valuations is significant. The County could benefit from periodic updates of the assessment data it uses so that the trending of assessments properly reflects more current market values, both up and down, and verifies the conditions of properties that have not been assessed in years.

My chief concern is fairness. In Sussex County, the actual value of property bears little resemblance to its assessed value. Whether that is good or bad is perhaps beside the point if the rule, no matter how convoluted, is consistently applied so that all County taxpayers are treated equally. The estimated cost of county reassessment today is about $40 million, an amount equal to roughly one-third of our total budget for FY 2015. Also, the school districts stand to benefit most from a reassessment, and the County has no jurisdiction over them — we must collect the tax they specify in the warrant and turn it over to them. The municipalities would benefit from reassessment, as well.

As your county councilman, I will be willing to investigate a reassessment program if the following conditions are met first:

1. The reassessment must be revenue-neutral. No windfall tax for the County.

2. We determine who is going to pay for it.

3. A method is established to prevent a huge increase in school and municipal taxes.

If ever I am lost and find myself in Heaven,

Let it spell Bethany

If ever I am shallow and in need of warm greeting,

Let it spell Bethany

If ever an Angel graces me with a helping hand,

Let it spell Bethany

With my every breath I leave my life written in the sand,

I will spell Bethany

Because Even Their Homes Are Now Yours...

The words of a Wounded Warrior who spent a week with his family in Bethany Beach encapsulate what local grassroots nonprofit organization Operation SEAs the Day hopes to instill in veterans and their families.

The annual Operation SEAs the Day Warrior Family Beach Week event is for veterans who are recovering from injuries sustained while serving the country and their immediate families. During the week, Bethany Beach will host 30 Very Important Families (VIFs) and five alumni VIF families.

“It is a community effort that plans, supports and implements Warrior Week. Warrior Week is a Bethany Beach-developed event to recognize these most deserving Americans. Operation SEAs the Day is not part of a national program,” said Annette Reeping, media relations specialist for Operation SEAs the Day.

“This is an American small-town-developed recognition week for Warrior Families adjusting and returning to life…. and it is family-focused. All of Bethany Beach should be proud that this town started and is implementing Warrior Week as a united community giving back.”

The warriors and their families arrived in Bethany Beach on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and will stay through Sept. 7, enjoying the local scenery and community. During their stay, the families have been residing in donated homes in the Bethany Beach area and have a host family to help them with anything from answering questions to making dinner reservations. Each VIF will receive VIF identification tags, which they will wear everywhere while in Bethany Beach.

Reeping said that the first few days of Warrior Week were dedicated to helping the VIFs acclimate to the area without being overwhelmed.

“The beginning of the week is a bit more sensitive than the end of the week, because when they first arrive, some of them are overwhelmed. Some of them have never been on vacations before. Some of them have never seen a boat. They tell us they’ve been isolated where they live. For anyone on vacation, I think it takes them a bit to relax.”

The returning five alumni VIFs hope to help ease the experience for the warrior families.

“The alumni families make it easier this year,” said Reeping. “They told us they were transformed last year. They told us this is part of their calling now. They want to help the families acclimate faster because they’re in the same situation, versus the host family who’s the local contact.”

That being said, the VIFs have numerous activities available to them — from therapeutic horseback riding to fishing to a spa day.

“They’ll have their families, and there’ll be a lot of activities for them.”

More than 70 businesses have pitched in to support the nonprofit, and to give the VIFs a relaxing, worry-free week at the beach.

“It’s so overwhelmingly positive. The businesses have been great, the community has been great. We have people baking at home to give us homemade goods. We have churches, civic groups baking to bring them that personal small-town feeling,” said Reeping, adding that, while soliciting for donations for the VIFs, many businesses gave more than what was asked. “Everywhere I’ve looked over the last couple months, the people are supportive, step right up... It’s just exciting.”

Only in its second year, the organization has grown, welcoming more VIFs and gaining more volunteers. Reeping said that organizers hope other communities throughout the country will take their model and create a week of their own.

“It doesn’t matter where you start. We are hoping that other communities look at this model and try to replicate it,” she said, noting that they have already been contacted by a resident of Montauk, N.Y., who hopes to start a warrior week in her community. “There’s a need in the community to give back and let them know that we haven’t forgotten, and there’s a need of those individuals to have communities do that.”

Reeping said the support is much-needed for the VIFs, who last year said the week was “magical and life transforming.”

“We know people are surviving injuries that they never used to survive, and their families are being impacted for the rest of their lives. These are people in their 20s. These are people who are just starting their lives out, with young families. They don’t just come back the same. Everybody is adjusting in that household. They don’t have the money that more affluent people have to deal with these things. They are dependent on the military.

“There’s a need in the community for us to give back,” she added. “To let these people know that we haven’t forgotten and that we want to share what we have here — the beauty of the area, the richness of being in the water, listening to the waves at night, just exhaling for a minute. One saw their children smiling and laughing for a whole week, instead of crying every time an ambulance came to get him. They had not experienced joy in that family.”

For those who want to thank the VIFs for their service and sacrifice, Reeping said the best opportunity would be to attend two events at the end of the week.

Family Night was set to be held on Thursday, Sept. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., when organizers have been encouraging community members and VIFs to spend the night in downtown Bethany Beach to see Dickens Parlour Theatre’s magic show on the bandstand at 7 p.m.

On Friday, Sept. 5, Reeping said, the organization hopes to draw a large crowd for the “Heroes’ Welcome” at the Freeman Stage at Bayside.

“We just want to cheer them as the buses are coming in,” said Reeping of welcoming the families.

Those who wish to cheer should arrive at Bayside no later than 5:15 p.m., and the welcome will take place on Americana Parkway leading up to the Sales & Information Center in the Bayside community.

Throughout the summer, the organization has had a poster-pal project, in which community members could help create welcome signs that will be used throughout the week.

“Children and families have created ‘Thank you,’ ‘Thank you for your service’ signs,” said Reeping, noting that the signs would be used for the welcome at Bayside. “The fire department is helping to escort the buses, and so are the hogs.”

Participants are being encouraged to wear red, white and blue and cheer for the veterans as they enter the community.

“We are so proud to partner with Operation SEAs the Day for this event as a way to honor our wounded warriors,” said Patti Grimes, executive director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. “We hope that this small gesture by the community will show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice to our country.”

The veterans and their families will later attend a Bruce in the USA concert, featuring the Bruce Springsteen tribute band, at the Freeman Stage at 7 p.m. The concert is also open to the public, and tickets can be purchased for $25 per adult, while those younger than 18 may attend free of charge.

As to what organizers hoped for the week, Reeping said they want the VIFs to find some peace of mind and enjoy a stress-free fun week, with the help of a grateful community.

“The community hopes that the VIFs’ experiences while in Bethany Beach will live on in each VIF’s mind, of a special place to visit when they need to do so. We believe the VIFs leave something special here in Bethany Beach,” said Reeping. “For the VIFs, we hope it is magical and helps them in their transition and their families’ transition back to a normal life. And that they know that we are thankful for them.”

For more information about Operation SEAs the Day, or to learn how to donate to or volunteer for the organization, visit www.operationseastheday.org or email warriorhost@operationseastheday.org.

The annual election for the Bethany Beach Town Council will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 6 p.m., to elect four council members to two-year terms. The five candidates include incumbents Jack Gordon, Rosemary Hardiman, Lew Killmer and Margaret Bogan Young, and challenger Bruce Frye.

Voters should bring to the polls with them proof of their identity and address, such as a current State of Delaware driver’s license, a uniformed service ID card, another current photo ID issued by the State of Delaware; U.S. government, the voter’s employer, high school or higher education institution; a current utility bill, bank statement, credit card statement, a paycheck, or another type of bill or statement; a lease or sales agreement; and/or any other documentation that a person can reasonably and commonly accept as proof of identity and address. A council reorganizational meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15 at town hall.

To help inform Bethany Beach voters ahead of the casting of ballots, the Coastal Point asked all five candidates a series of questions. Here are their responses, in alphabetical order by candidate’s last name:

Bruce Frye

Q. How should the town deal with future proposed large-scale commercial projects (i.e., multi-business retail projects)? Should the Town offer accommodations/incentives to developers to encourage such projects?

A. A healthy business district is one key component of a healthy town. Our 2010-2015 Bethany Beach Comprehensive Plan has a recommendation to “Create a Vibrant and Active Business District.” To me, “a vibrant and active business district” does not mean “large-scale commercial projects.” This question was probably generated by the new hotel (which I think was a one-time event, replacing an old hotel with a new one), but I am not aware of any other large-scale projects planned and I don’t see a need or a desire to create incentives.

That being said, a goal in the comprehensive plan “includes convincing business owners to respond to the needs of an ever-growing locally-based year-round population … rather than focusing solely on summer and beach-related business.” I think good two-way communications between the Town and businesses, along with clear goals (as in the Comprehensive Plan) are all the incentives necessary for healthy growth.

Q. Should the Town further expand its entertainment offerings, such as offering movies on the beach on additional nights or new types of entertainment? Should such offerings be extended beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day?

A. Any increase in summer offerings would need to be financed by the summer income (parking and rentals), which is the town’s philosophy. A goal of the Comprehensive Plan is to extend entertainment/dining/cultural events into the shoulder months, but I expect this would be done by private/commercial interests, not financed by the Town.

Q. What do you feel the Town should do, if anything, about persistent flooding in some areas?

A. There are several causes of flooding: heavy rain resulting in slow drainage, storm surges in the canal which back up in the storm sewers, and major storms and sea-level rise. Improved maintenance of the storm sewers and swales can speed the drainage, so the Town should prioritize this activity.

For the canal issue, the Town is awaiting new recommendations from the Army Corps of Engineers. Once received and approved, the Town will need to look for funding for this potential solution. The sea level rise issue is a longer term concern with no easy answers, but we should start now discussing, planning and incorporating this threat into our Comprehensive Plan. We also need to continue to be actively engaged in county, state and federal efforts.

Q. What do you think should be the features of the new Town park?

A. I agree with the opinions of the majority of our landowners, as seen in the recent survey. Most favor a natural park (no swimming pool, tennis court, etc.) professionally designed with appropriate plantings, paths and park benches. The process will be to have several plans sketched out and subject them to public review before initiating the project.

Q. What regulations do you feel the Town should be enacting regarding residential building (architectural design, color palate, bulk, height – including possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels, due to the potential for flooding, etc.)?

A. One recommendation in the 2010-2015 Comprehensive Plan is: “Evaluate and Recommend Effective Approaches That Focus On The Compatibility of Extra Large Houses With The Existing Housing Stock in Bethany Beach.” I have witnessed a series of good discussions on this subject at the Planning Commission meetings over the past years.

Dictating “taste” is always a tough proposition but the Planning Commission is working hard to understand the “tastes” of the majority and the abilities of the architects and builders to comply with guidelines that are flexible rather than proscriptive, creating tradeoffs and incentives for more “Bethanyesque” houses.

The issue of freeboard and roof height has recently been resolved in South Bethany, and was an issue in Dewey. I believe Bethany will have to have the same discussion in the future months. Reducing flooding damage is good for everyone, so we need to look for ways to make this feasible without jeopardizing our “skyline.”

Q. What are your credentials for serving on the town council? Why should people vote for you.

A. During the past four years, I have literally attended more than a hundred meetings (Town Council, Council Workshops, Audit & Finance Committee, Planning Commission, Non-residential Design Review Board), served on three committees (Charter & Ordinance, Board of Adjustment, and July 4th Parade), and taken two U of D government courses. This exposure gave me some understanding of how the town works and what the issues are.

In addition, during the past year, all of the Town Council members, including the mayors, have encouraged me to run for council. My background is science and industry (manager at General Electric). I sum up my attributes as fresh eyes, knowledge and an energetic volunteer.

Jack Gordon

Q. How should the Town deal with future large-scale commercial projects (i.e. multi-business retail projects)? Should the Town offer accommodations/incentives to developers to encourage such projects?

A. I do not believe we will be faced with any large-scale projects in the near future, as we are pretty much built out in Bethany in our commercial zones. However, if a developer should want to tear down an existing commercial building in the C-1 or C-2 zones and rebuild another structure, our current building construction ordinance and the Non Residential Design Guidelines are currently in place and established to oversee such development. I do not believe that it is the Town Council’s intent or function to accommodate or incentivize such development.

Q. Should the Town further expand its entertainment offerings, such as offering movies on the beach on additional nights or new types of entertainment? Should such offerings be extended beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day?

A. I believe the town currently provides an exceptional level of entertainment and activities in the way of the crafts fair, movies, bonfires and bandstand entertainment during the summer, highlighted by the July 4th parade and fireworks. The town also supports a number of shoulder-season activities in the runs, walks and other charity-sponsored fundraising activities outside the beach season to attract tourists before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. I believe that due to the relatively small size and quiet nature of the town, doing more out of season is not practical.

Q. What do you feel the Town should do, if anything, about persistent flooding in some areas?

A. I live in one of Bethany’s most flood-prone areas of the town, Lake Bethany. During Sandy, Heron Drive in front of my house was under more than two feet of water. I am extremely aware of the problems we have, but I am also very aware that the flooding problem in Bethany has no easy, let alone inexpensive, fix.

The Public Works Department is constantly working to improve drainage in the flood prone areas of the town. This includes work with the swales in most areas of town and replacement of drainage pipes, most recently in the northeast end of town. The town has committed funds to the currently ongoing study by the Army Corps of Engineers of the flooding problems in town and beyond our boundaries to the north to study and seek out solutions to our flooding problem. A report on their findings, delayed by their workload caused by Sandy, will be available soon.

This does not guarantee solutions will be found. They will not want the solution to be to transfer our problems to other areas. We must realize that we in Bethany are in a low-lying area. Most of our drainage is into the Loop and Assawoman canals. If there is a tidal event with a substantial amount of rain, the water has nowhere else to go, and there will be flooding no matter how much money we spend trying to solve the problem.

Q. What do you think should be the features of the new Town park?

A. At its July meeting, the Town Council reviewed and discussed what the Bethany property owners indicated they wanted as features in the new town park in the survey sent to them by the town. The results of the survey overwhelming indicated a preference for a low-key area with walking/bicycle paths, benches and plantings for natural beauty, with a minimum of impact from recreational features. Based on this survey, the council voted for such features in the park and directed the town manager to contract with a park design company to create a choice of designs for such a park. Alternate designs for a park with these features will be presented to the townspeople, and from these a plan will be chosen.

Q. What regulations do you feel the Town should be enacting regarding residential building (architectural design, color palate, bulk, height) including possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels, due to the potential for flooding, etc.

A. The town’s existing building codes are currently very adequate for residential building setting appropriate limitations. They will be reviewed in light of the new FEMA flood insurance requirements to be implemented soon. Height limit requirements on homes could be affected depending on base flood elevation levels that might be established in the future. The Town of South Bethany has recently implemented the ability to increase home heights based on “freeboard” above base flood elevation levels. Bethany should explore this possibility in light of the potential for climate change and rising sea level.

Q. What are your credentials for serving on the Town Council? Why should people vote for you?

A. I believe my financial background and leadership skills from my past occupations as an officer in the Navy, an officer of a data processing consulting firm and as CFO of Navy Federal Credit Union have enabled me to be of value to the town since I was elected to the Town Council in 2008. My background, coupled with the experience, insights and knowledge I have gained from six years on the town council as secretary-treasurer, vice-mayor and currently mayor, qualify me to be in a uniquely useful position to continue to serve the residents, property owners and businesses of Bethany Beach.

Rosemary Hardiman

Q. How should the Town deal with future proposed large-scale commercial projects (i.e., multi-business retail projects)? Should the Town offer accommodations/incentives to developers to encourage such projects?

A. Unlike Ocean View and other nearby towns and municipalities, Bethany Beach does not have any remaining undeveloped commercial land tracks. So I don’t foresee any large-scale commercial project proposals in the near future or any reason to encourage such a project.

The only way I see such a project happening would be if an existing multi-business retail structure were to be torn down and rebuilt by the owner. Any project proposed would be considered in accordance with applicable provisions of the Town Code and established procedures, including multiple opportunities for public input.

Any committee recommendations or Council decisions in such a matter would be based on all the facts and circumstances at the time, the controlling legal authorities, and the best interests of our Town and its citizens.

Q. Should the Town further expand its entertainment offerings, such as offering movies on the beach on additional nights or new types of entertainment? Should such offerings be extended beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day?

A. Entertainment and other events at the bandstand, on the beach and at Town Hall contribute to the family-friendly summer experience that draws citizens and visitors alike to downtown Bethany. The Town monitors attendance at these events, seeks feedback to evaluate them and is open to suggestions. Adding movie nights or extending the events beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day are ideas worth considering.

In evaluating such suggestions, the Town would take into account and weigh potential public attendance, cost and personnel. The overall Town policy is that summer revenue must cover summer expenses, including the cost of entertainment and personnel, so that these expenses are not borne by taxpayers.

While movies on the beach are popular, the license to show a movie ranges from $325 to $425 each, depending on the movie. Additional personnel costs for staffing extra work nights and the availability of personnel and related costs for an extended season also would have to be taken into account.

At the present time, Tuesday and Wednesday nights are the only free nights on the Town’s entertainment calendar for two reasons. First, Thursday through Monday are generally the days that there are most people in Town; and second, our small entertainment and public works staff need and are entitled to some time off during a workweek.

It is my observation that at the present time the Town has a great mixture of events. Being professionals, Town staff members are constantly evaluating and open to suggestions to make events and the summer experience even more enjoyable for all of us.

Q. What do you feel the town should do, if anything, about persistent flooding in some areas?

A. My husband and I live in a home adjacent to the Loop Canal and have been affected by flooding on several occasions. So, I am very aware of the scope and seriousness of the problem for so many citizens and am personally committed to finding solutions. In fact, when I was a member of the Communications Committee, I researched the issue, drew on the extensive knowledge, experience and efforts of former Council Member Harry Steele, Town Manager Cliff Graviet and Public Works Director Brett Warner, and prepared an information paper on the subject.

As we know, a significant portion of the Town has been built very close to sea level and almost all of our drainage system is at or below sea level. In addition, the Town is almost entirely surrounded by ocean and tidal canals. It is into these canals that our rainwater drains and from these canals that Bethany floods in a tidal storm and heavy rains. The worst flooding occurs on North Pennsylvania Avenue and the area north of Route 26.

The Town is awaiting an Army Corps of Engineers’ report on whether there is any economically feasible and workable solution to flooding caused by tidal events. Regarding flooding caused by rainwater alone, the Town has devoted significant resources over the last dozen years to enhance drainage throughout the community. Systems that were long neglected have been restored and, overall, rainwater moves out of the Town more quickly than it did over a decade ago.

To my knowledge there is no workable and affordable proposal that would keep North Pennsylvania Avenue from flooding. Although apparently engineers proposed a drainage system that would help move rainwater (without any accompanying tidal flooding) more efficiently from the street, the price tag would be over $1 million. However, we must continue to search for workable and affordable solutions to flooding issues throughout the Town.

As a member of the Town Council, I would be committed to ensuring that the Town continues to look for realistic and cost-effective ways to help mitigate the problem of flooding throughout our Town, within the constraints imposed by the elevation, geography and hydrology of the Town and the surrounding area.

Q. What do you think should be the features of the new Town park?

A. I think determination of the features in the new Town park should start with consideration of those identified by a majority of the over 900 property owners and residents who responded to the survey the Town conducted. Based on the input from the survey, the majority of responders want to keep it as natural as possible and incorporate features that mirror that goal: shade trees, benches, bike paths, natural plants, among others.

The next step in the Town’s park development plan is to engage a landscape architect to develop multiple concepts based on these features. The concepts that are developed will be mailed to citizens in the Town newsletter and comments will be solicited. Concepts will be reviewed in a public forum and further refined before any final decision by Council is reached. There will be plenty of opportunity for citizens to participate in the final design of the Park with features that a majority would like to have.

Q. What regulations do you feel the Town should be enacting regarding residential building (architectural design, color palate, bulk, height—including possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels, due to the potential for flooding, etc.)?

A. Over the past year, the Planning Commission has been reviewing the Town Code and how it currently regulates mass, bulk and scale of residential construction. Their goal is to determine how the Code can be improved to address concerns expressed by citizens regarding the compatibility of some new homes with existing homes within a neighborhood.

The Planning Commission will be proposing some changes in the Code to control bulk density of new residential structures, while also allowing property owners, designers and builders to have options and encouraging architectural diversity when designing new homes. The Commission’s meetings have been open to the public, and they have invited and included local architects, designers and builders.

My understanding is that the Planning Commission will be presenting their recommendations to the Council in the near future. If I am on Council at that time, I and other Council members will review and consider the Commission’s research and recommendations. Here again, there will be opportunities for public input before any final decision.

Regarding possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels because of the potential for flooding, I believe that the Town Code already provides for such height adjustment. Some other towns measure permissible height as a certain number of feet from the center of a roadway. This measurement does not take into account base flood elevation (BFE) as determined by FEMA. Base flood elevation is the elevation associated with a 100-year flood, which is a flood with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.

In contrast, under our Town Code, the lowest floor of a building cannot start below the base flood elevation of that particular lot. The height is measured from there to the highest point of that structure. The BFE can vary from lot to lot depending on the FEMA map. The Code provisions have served Bethany well over the years and BFE is adjusted automatically with changes to the FEMA flood-plain maps.

Q. What are your credentials for serving on the town council? Why should people vote for you?

A. I believe that I have the relevant knowledge, experience and professional background to continue to make a positive contribution to the successful accomplishment of the work of the Council and our Town government.

Town government experience: I have served as a member of Town Council since March 2014, as well as on various Town committees: Communications (as member and chairperson) Recycling and Charter & Ordinance Review and in past years as an election officer (judge) and member of the Election Board.

County and state experience: I serve as vice president of the Sussex County Library Advisory Board and represent all libraries in Sussex County on the State Council of Libraries. This has provided knowledge of and experience with our inter-governmental relationships.

Professional background: In my prior management and professional life, I served as secretary of the board and deputy executive director of a federal agency; and later as an attorney in private practice representing credit union clients in the resolution of disputes and providing legal advice on various management issues.

In addition to being very helpful as Council member, that experience provided me with a deep appreciation and respect for the rule of law; the duty to apply it fairly and equally; the necessity and value of soliciting and considering different points of view and basing decisions on facts and legal authorities.

Community involvement: Over the past 10 years as a full-time resident, I have gained more knowledge and appreciation for the rich diversity of our area and people by playing minor roles as a volunteer from time-to-time in various community activities: Read Aloud Delaware at Lord Baltimore Elementary School; St. Ann’s bazaar and English as a Second Language Program with Frankford Public Library; Women’s Civic Club of Bethany Beach; VFW Post 7234 (Sunday Breakfast Crew); Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Team; and the Farmers’ Market.

With the background described, I believe that I have the necessary qualifications to fulfill the responsibilities of a Council member, deal fairly and effectively with the broad range of issues that come before the Council, and represent the interests of all citizens.

As I have previously said, I fully understand that the position of Council member is a position of trust and responsibility. If elected, I would, as I have for the past five months on the Council, continue to solicit input from citizens and devote the time, energy and thoughtful consideration to the work involved. I am prepared to make this commitment for the good of our Town and of all our citizens in order to keep Bethany Beach a wonderful family-friendly community.

Lew Killmer

Q. How should the Town deal with future large-scale commercial projects (i.e. multi-business retail projects)? Should the Town offer accommodations/incentives to developers to encourage such projects?

A. Bethany Beach is ? one square mile in total area and other than a few “large” buildable tracts of land that are all zoned residential, the Town is essentially built out! The new hotel that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters is the last of the “large” tracts of land that is considered commercial in nature, which is located in downtown Bethany Beach.

I personally do not consider the installment plan offered to Mr. Burbage as an accommodation/incentives since there is a pending legal suit that is before the court in which the ultimate outcome might have substantially reduced the amount of money that the Town is entitled to receive. This was a compromise, not an accommodation, that avoided all potential legal challenges. To the best of my knowledge, the Town currently, as well as historically has not offered accommodations/incentives to developers.

Q. Should the Town further expand its entertainment offerings, such as offering movies on the beach on additional nights or new types of entertainment? Should such offerings be extended beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day?

A. Yes appears to be the no-brainer answer, but perhaps there are other factors to also consider. When families are watching movies, they are not patronizing our downtown business establishments, in which those downtown businesses heavily rely on the business of those same “summer” moviegoers.

Secondly, there would be the need to provide additional Town staff, security and the coast of renting the movie on multiple movie nights — something the Town would need to establish the bottom-line cost before implementing. Finally, nearby communities, such as Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island, also have movie nights, so it is important that the towns do not oversaturate this form of summer entertainment.

As far as “new types” of entertainment, the current wonderful diversity of the types of entertainment on our bandstand does not require the Town to pursue “new types” of entertainment.

I personally would like to see movies on the beach, weather permitting, offered before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. The Town has a critical mass of year-round residents both in Bethany Beach and in surrounding communities that might enjoy movies on the beach during those times of the year and, unlike our summer guests, it would be a reason for our residents and neighbors to come to our downtown area and patronize our businesses, and it might be the right incentive to possibly justify our business owners to open earlier and stay open longer each year!

Q. What do you feel the Town should do, if anything, about persistent flooding in some areas?

A. I have served on the Sea Level Rise Committee, as well as the Senate Bill 64 committee that focused on stormwater management and flood damage prevention. Did you know that the State of Delaware is the lowest state in the United States regarding sea level and therefore will be the most impacted regarding potential future changes in our climate? Did you know parts of our downtown are actually at and/or below sea level? FEMA will soon be officially issuing the new floodplain map for Bethany Beach. The new FEMA map now has 80 percent of the town in a floodplain, compared to the old map, in which only 50 percent of the town was in a floodplain!

So what can all of us and the Town do regarding the negative impact of persistent flooding? This issue has been discussed, plans developed, studies funded and engineering plans drawn up and paid for by the Town for as long as anyone can remember. There are no easy or cost-effective answers. Sure, there are plans in place that cost millions of dollars that could minimize flooding in parts of the town east of Route 1, but those same “improved sections” will still flood during coastal storms such as nor’easters, hurricanes, tropical storms and torrential downpours! Also, much of our flooding in our town comes from sources of floodwater whose source is mostly north of Bethany Beach.

The best thing that you and the Town can do is to make sure all stormwater drains and swales that may intersect your property are kept clean and free-flowing. The Town needs to continue to inspect, maintain and replace underground stormwater drains that are blocked, undersized or have been crushed. Just look at the dramatic decrease in flooding in front of the U.S. Post Office since some of the preexisting drainage issues were corrected during the construction of the new conference center across from the post office!

Q. What do you think should be the features of the new Town park?

A. I fully support the name that our town manager suggested for the Town park, “Central Park of Bethany Beach,” since Central Boulevard runs along the north side of the park and therefore it would be our mini-version of Central Park in New York City.

The Town has sent and collated the results of a survey sent out to all voters in the town, with the majority wishing to keep the park as natural as possible, with walking paths, benches and similar low-impact features, as well as directing the Town to control the cost of improving the property. The Town is in the process of hiring a landscape architectural firm who is experienced in developing town parks, and they will propose a number of design concepts that will be open for review and comment from the public before finalizing on the design.

Q. What regulations do you feel the Town should be enacting regarding residential building (architectural design, color palate, bulk, height) including possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels, due to the potential for flooding, etc.

A. You have asked a lot of questions in a single paragraph. First, color of a residential structure is a personal choice, and the Town should not be involved with that issue. The Planning Commission has just finished a multi-year study dealing with the issue of residential bulk density for the R-1, R-1A and R-1B zoning districts.

This proposed new ordinance that was recently sent to the Town Council for their review and their possible consideration sometime in the future deals, with bulk, existing neighborhood compatibility of a new structure, in terms of size and scale, style of residential structures, as well as setbacks, maximum lot coverage and other related zoning issues for all new structures. This well-illustrated proposed legislation will soon be on the Town’s website.

Regarding height of residential structures in Bethany Beach, I personally see no need to increase the height of a residential structure above 31 feet above base flood elevation.

Q. What are your credentials for serving on the Town Council? Why should people vote for you?

A. It has been my honor and privilege of representing our community on the Bethany Beach Town Council for the past nine years. In addition to currently holding the position of vice mayor, I am also the chairperson on the Planning Commission, as well as the Non-Residential Design Review Committee.

Over the course of several years, I have successfully pursued a course of instruction that was designed for the development of municipal leaders. I also actively participated in a number of training courses sponsored by various federal and state agencies on such topics as public administration, the impact of climate change on coastal Delaware, planning and zoning, downtown community development, public safety, emergency management and transportation, to name a few. As a result of my commitment to continuing education, I was awarded a certificate of accomplishment from the University of Delaware’s Institute of Public Administration.

I have also volunteered for a number of community groups and organizations, such as the Delaware Valley Science Fair, the Sussex County Science Fair, the Seaside Craft Show, Adopt-A-Highway Program, South Coastal Library, Saint Ann’s Men’s Club and the Knights of Columbus. I am also on the executive committee of the Delaware League of Local Governments and actively involved with the Sussex County Association of Towns.

Working with the Bethany Beach/Fenwick Island Chamber of Commerce, I will continue to act as an liaison between the Town Council and the commercial and business property owners so that relationship continues to be more proactive rather than reactive and to reach out to municipal leaders in our surrounding communities for the need for all of us to speak with a single voice to the members of our state and county legislators, especially for those issues that impact coastal communities.

Margaret Young

Q. How should the Town deal with future large-scale commercial projects (i.e. multi-business retail projects)? Should the Town offer accommodations/incentives to developers to encourage such projects?

A. Great attention needs to be given to any code, or rezoning changes. The unfortunate decision, which was not in conformance with Bethany’s comprehensive plan, to rezone the area south of Hollywood from residential to commercial lodging, has set a precedent which will present difficulties in the future, when it may be referenced by developers requesting zoning changes in order to gain approval for their non-conforming building plans.

Large commercial enterprises, particularly east of Route 1, threaten Bethany’s future as the best of the “Quiet Resorts.” Prospective developers are well aware of our fees before proceeding with their projects. To accord them preferential treatment is unfair to all other taxpaying citizens, all of whom should be treated equally, without regard to their personal wealth, or powerful influence. Large construction is undertaken for one reason only — monetary gain for the developer.

Q. Should the Town further expand its entertainment offerings, such as offering movies on the beach on additional nights or new types of entertainment? Should such offerings be extended beyond Labor Day and/or before Memorial Day?

A. The Town presents entertainment on the bandstand three evenings per week from June 13 to Aug. 31. Movies are shown on the beach every Monday, along with a bonfire held on Thursdays. Three children’s theatre productions are presented at Town Hall during July. There are several exercise/yoga classes offered during the summer. In addition, the Town hosts the Seaside Craft Show on the first Saturday in June, the Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival on the first Saturday in September, and the Jazz Funeral on Labor Day.

I believe there are enough entertainment events during the summer season. However, a movie might be welcome on weekends in September and October, and also in April and May, as there are many weekend visitors during those times. Saturday nights would be the best choice.

Q. What do you feel the Town should do, if anything, about persistent flooding in some areas?

A. In 2011, Bethany Beach entered into a partnership with the USACE, which I sponsored, to participate in a feasibility study to discover solutions to our flooding problems in the northern section of town. Three years have passed with no progress reports, or recommendations, which should be supplied on a regular basis.

The deterioration of the Loop Canal, our second most important historic site, completed in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, must be addressed. It is mud-filled with street sediments and bank erosion. The canal is Bethany’s only stormwater retention pond. That retention grows less and less every rainy day.

The Corps study is dealing with tidal flooding primarily. We need to know if ways to stem the tidal flooding from the Loop Canal are both cost-effective and workable. The Town has done some work in improving stormwater drainage in its northern area, but more work is still needed. Our beach is well protected with the dunes, but the tidal flooding north of Garfield needs to be seriously addressed and acted upon.

Q. What do you think should be the features of the new Town park?

A. The new Town park should include flowers, shrubs and trees, walking paths and benches. An area for ground level games, such as horseshoes, bocce, the new, very popular beanbag toss, and hopscotch, would afford a choice of activities. A very small play area for young children, similar to the one at the Nature Center, would provide an activity for them, while their parents are relaxing on the benches. If a water problem arises, a water feature might be added as an attractive solution to that problem.

Q. What regulations do you feel the Town should be enacting regarding residential building (architectural design, color palate, bulk, height) including possible accommodations for height to encourage property owners to build starting at higher levels, due to the potential for flooding, etc.

A. I’m not certain that Bethany needs to enact new residential regulations — certainly not without extensive public involvement on the part of those who own the residences and pay the taxes that support regulations. Bethany’s residential height restrictions already have an accommodation allowing homes in low-lying parts of town to modestly exceed the 31 foot height limit when attempting to reach the 8 feet above sea level requirement for the first habitable floor of new or rehabilitated homes.

In order to relieve the bulky sensation that some new homes create, the Planning Commission has been studying ways to encourage builders to design homes which, though large, would closely resemble traditional beach cottages. I think residents appreciate the restrictions, maximum lot coverage and setbacks that help keep our residential areas reasonably comfortable.

Q. What are your credentials for serving on the Town Council? Why should people vote for you?

A. When Bethany approved an unpopular increase in residential height limits, I and other citizens circulated a petition for a referendum. We gathered nearly 1,000 signatures — half of which I got myself — and forced the Council to repeal its earlier work. In 2011, I sponsored the Town partnership with the USACE in a feasibility study to discover solutions to the flooding of the northern area of town. As a member of the Cultural & Historic Affairs Committee since 2004, I researched 40 historic sites, leading to the placement of the bronze markers around town. I was a member of the Communications and Intergovernmental committees until their disbandment.

I serve on St. Ann’s Pastoral Council, and am involved in several activities there. I am a board member of the BBLA and the Farmers’ Market, for which I have recruited and scheduled volunteers since its founding in 2007. With an associate, I co-authored the updated publication of the BBLA booklet “Bethany Beach – A Walk through History.” I led the way for the recognition of Ensign Henry Clay Drexler, son of one of Bethany’s founding families, as our sole Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

I opposed the construction of the AT&T tower at Arby’s, supported the construction of an additional water tower, and the Maryland Avenue residents against the installation of exercise equipment in their “back yards,” worked to enact “no parking” and lower speed limits on Kent Avenue, and advocated for the placement of benches on the beach approaches. Yearly, I serve on the Beach & Bay Cottage Tour, am a 41-year member of the Women’s Civic Club of Bethany Beach, for which I was secretary for nine years. I mentor at John M. Clayton School, and read to children at Lord Baltimore School for the DE Read Aloud literacy program.

In my six years on Council, I have never missed a council or workshop meeting. Having spent every summer here, and being a permanent resident for 17 years, I love Bethany deeply, and am totally committed to maintaining the town as a quiet, family-oriented retreat with a character and sense of place that makes it different from places like Ocean City and Rehoboth. As in the past, I promise to always be available to listen to your concerns and do my very best to assist you in solving them.

Bethany Beach Town Council Election results: Elected are Lew Killmer, Rosemary Hardiman, Jack Gordon and Bruce Frye. Incumbent Margaret Young was not re-elected.

Vote totals from machine and absentee ballots were:
Hardiman — 704
Killmer — 700
Gordon — 682
Frye — 621
Young — 579

More in our Sept. 12 issue.

Next month, golfers from far and wide may participate in the Salt Pond’s first Rally for the Cure golf tournament.

“I think there are a lot of breast cancer survivors in our community,” said Frank Dininno, vice president of the Salt Pond Golf Course. “We’ve learned from our neighbors that we should jump onboard, honor our own and continue the spirit of the rally to call attention to breast cancer.”

“Our hope is to have people in our area, and especially within the Salt Pond community, to be more aware of breast cancer,” added Marilyn Adams, who volunteers to organize tournaments. “Salt Pond has a few survivors that will be participating.”

The tournament will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.

Registration for the tournament costs $55 for club members or $65 for non-members. Individuals may sign up, as may twosomes and foursomes. Those who do not have a complete foursome will have a group assigned. A handicap is not required to play in the tournament.

“This is all about fun and supporting the community and this effort,” said Dininno.

The tournament will have a 50/50 raffle and award various prizes, including closest-to-the-hole and putting contests. Mulligans will also be sold to those participating.

“We have a local artist, Trudy Fox, who is making a special silver pendant that models our first hole out here,” said Dininno. “That’ll be given as a prize, as well.”

And, for those who have never played at Salt Pond, those who have described it as a fun 18-hole mid-length course.

“It’s a challenging short course. Conditions are always very good, and it’s a lot of fun to play,” said Golf Pro Art Whaley. “The tournament is really to raise money for breast cancer, so it’ll be more fun than any other kind of competition.”

The tournament is open to both men and women, reflecting the fact that both genders can be diagnosed with the life-threatening disease and be indirectly impacted, as well.

“This event is open for both men and women because breast cancer not only affects the person diagnosed with it but it affects the whole family — husbands, wives, children, sons, daughters,” said Adams.

Those who are not interested in golfing in the tournament but would still like to support the club’s fundraising efforts can join in, too. Community members may attend the tournament luncheon for $20 per person.

“Even if you’re not a golfer but still want to come out for the event, you’re welcome to attend,” said Adams.

Funds raised by the event will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Rally for the Cure.

Both Dininno and Adams said raising awareness for the disease is of great importance to them.

“I have a particular vested interest because I used to do research in the pharmaceutical industry. I worked for five years trying to develop a drug for breast cancer,” said Dininno. “We came very close. We had a good compound that worked in animals, but it wasn’t safe for human consumption.”

“This is very dear to my heart because I lost my best friend to breast cancer,” added Adams. “We thought she had really licked it, then five years later it came back and she was gone… It really affects me, even to this day. I miss her so much.”

In the past, Salt Pond has hosted fundraising tournaments for Gardeners By the Sea, Mariner’s Bethel Methodist Church and Saint Ann’s Catholic Church. The club also hosts tournaments for its members, such as opening day and, for the first time this year, an end-of-the-year tournament.

“This is our big focus right now,” said Adams of the rally event.

The club hopes its first rally will be successful, she said, and plans to continue the tournament as an annual fundraiser.

“It’s a new process for us. We’re excited about it, and we want to make it fun, nice event,” said Adams.

“We hope it’ll be very successful, and we hope to have many more,” added Dininno.

For more information on the tournament, to donate to the Rally, or to register, call the Salt Pond Pro Shop at (302) 539-7525.

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild will host another night of “Songs & Stories” at Annabella’s in Lewes (1201 Savanah Road). The event, which starts at 7 p.m. and lasts until about 8:30, is free and open to the public.

This month’s “Song & Stories” focuses on the theme of “Doors,” with writers and musicians presenting short original writings or songs that feature actual doors — ones they’ve walked through, ones they couldn’t get into, locked doors, closet doors, magical doors, as well as those doors that have metaphorically opened, closed, or slammed, even, perhaps, a reminiscence about The Doors, as in the musical group. The readings are all brief — fewer than 300 words — and will cover a range of genres: poetry, fiction, nonfiction.

Throughout the event, audience members are being invited to drink and dine at Annabella’s. The restaurant will be serving from their regular menu of homemade Italian food throughout the evening.

For more information about the even, or to RSVP to allows the night to run more smoothly, email contactus@rehobothbeachwritersguild.com. For more information about summer writing classes, Free Writes or the reading/song series, go to www.rehobothbeachwritersguild.com.

The Ocean View Post Office, located at 35764 Atlantic Avenue (Route 26), is hosting a Passport Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 24, to provide passport information to U.S. citizens and to accept passport applications. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Postal Service is joining the U.S. Department of State in promoting National Passport Awareness Month to increase awareness of passport requirements and service offerings.

“We are happy to leverage the convenience of the Postal Service and partner with the Department of State to help our customers apply for passports,” said newly appointed Ocean View Postmaster Mike Behringer.

Information on the cost and how to apply for a passport book and/or passport can be found online at www.travel.state.gov. U.S. citizens also may obtain passport information, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll free at 1-877-487-2778.

Normally, the process costs $135 for adults (16 years or older), with separate payments of $110 paid to the State Department for the passport application fee and $25 to the Postal Service for its processing fee. For those younger than 16, the cost is $105, with separate payments of $80 and $25, respectively. For expedited service, add $60 for each application.

Other tips include:

• Bring in proper proof of American citizenship or naturalization. This must be either a State-issued birth certificate; a previous passport; or a naturalization certificate, if you’re foreign born. (Note: A hospital-issued birth certificate isn’t acceptable).

• Bring in one officially-acceptable state or government photo ID. This can be either a driver’s license, a military photo ID or State-issued photo ID. Workplace IDs and regular photos are generally not acceptable.

• Bring a clear and correctly exposed passport photo. For an additional $15 fee, your passport photo may be taken while applying for your passport at the Post Office.

• To save time, download passport application documents at www.travel.state.gov and fill out beforehand. However, don’t sign the application form. The passport acceptance clerk must witness the signing.

More information on National Passport Awareness Month can be found at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/....