Over the last year, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife and its conservation partners have worked with wildlife experts and other key stakeholders throughout the state and region to develop the 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan (DEWAP).

Required in order for Delaware to be eligible for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) State Wildlife Grant Program funding, the DEWAP will assess Delaware’s wildlife and habitats, identify the challenges they face and outline actions needed for conserving them over the long term.

A series of stakeholder workshops have been held recently to identify and prioritize the fish, wildlife and associated habitats most in need of conservation. Identifying and prioritizing these valuable Delaware natural resources is required by the USFWS to obtain federal funding for many conservation efforts in the state.

The process is also intended to ensure that common species remain common, by utilizing conservation efforts throughout Delaware with many public and private partners over the next decade, preventing these species from becoming endangered or threatened.

Input from the public, wildlife partners and stakeholders is being encouraged throughout the DEWAP revision process. This month, public open house meetings will be held in each of Delaware’s three counties. The open houses will give the public the opportunity to meet, ask questions and provide their input to the 2015 DEWAP development team.

Meetings will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

• New Castle County: Tuesday, July 28, Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720;

• Kent County: Thursday, July 30, DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901;

• Sussex County: Wednesday, July 29, Delaware Technical Community College, Room 344B in the Arts & Science Center, 21179 College Drive, Georgetown, DE 19947.

“This plan will address the many effects and impacts of concern, such as climate change, habitat loss, disease and pollution on our wildlife and their associated habitats, and the actions identified will help coordinate conservation efforts that ensure a viable future for Delaware’s wildlife, fish and their habitats,” said Joe Rogerson, Delaware Species Conservation & Research Program manager, Division of Fish & Wildlife.

“Scientists, hunters, anglers, conservationists and other stakeholders will work together to develop conservation actions to address or alleviate these threats and effectively conserve Delaware’s valuable wildlife resources.”

To review the Delaware Wildlife Action Plan, or to stay updated on the revision process, visit http://de.gov/dewap. Comments can be submitted by email to DEWildlifeActionPlan@gmail.com, or by regular mail to Joe Rogerson, Species Conservation and Research Program, 6180 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977.

On Monday, July 27, the Town of Bethany Beach will celebrate Périers Day, marking the twinning of the towns of Bethany Beach, Del., and Periers, France.

Downtown Bethany will become more reminiscent of a street in France, with caricature artists and strolling entertainers on the boardwalk from 3 to 6 p.m., and French and jazz band La Vie en Rose, featuring Violette, on the bandstand stage from 5 to 7 p.m. To further support the French-themed event, that Monday’s movie on the beach will be “Madeline.”

Périers, located in Normandy, France, was liberated by the U.S. Army’s 90th Infantry Division on July 27, 1944. The liberation came almost two months after the D-Day landing on Utah Beach. The twinning, or “sister city,” relationship between the two towns was established in August of 2010.

The commemorative program is free. There is no rain date. For more information, visit www.townofbethanybeach.com.

The Millville Town Council made some long-term decisions at its July 14 meeting. Besides approving a new computer server for town hall, they nearly concluded talks about a proposed zoning overhaul.

The council unanimously opted to purchase and install the new computer server, at a cost of $10,344. The existing server, from 2008, has trouble connecting to employees’ tech devices, officials said. They considered purchasing Microsoft Cloud, but the Town would still need a new server in two yeas, said Town Manager Debbie Botchie.

“I think in-house control, as much as possible, is preferable,” said Councilman Harry Kent, concerned that the Town would be at the mercy of Microsoft updates.

Information will not be stored in “the cloud,” but it will still be accessible from Town employees’ various devices when they travel.

Councilwoman Susan Brewer asked if they had considered any other companies besides Hilyard’s Inc. The server, Internet and programs have so many “interdependencies” that it was simpler to stick with one IT company that’s already on contract, Botchie said.

Zoning overhaul ready for final discussion

The council on July 14 also finished a line-by-line review of the proposed updated zoning code, found in Ordinance 16-01.

“We’re looking to the future and possibly what’s going to happen,” said Botchie.

At the June council workshop, council members had reviewed the AR-Agriculture Residential District and R-Residential District.

This month, they mulled over the C1-Route 26 Corridor/Town Center Commercial District, plus the C2-Town Commercial District.

Businesses in the commercial district can work with new lot sizes and uses. For instance, analysis of the C1 district showed “the lots were a lot larger, for the most part, for the whole district,” said town engineer Kyle Gulbronson of URS.

“However … 25 lots were made non-conforming by that [minimum] 14,000-square-foot area. … We thought that 8,000 [square-foot minimum] would be the best average small-lot size to make the majority conforming.”

Rear-yard setbacks were tricky for narrow lots, so the minimum 30 feet will be changed to 20 feet, unless the business’ property line backs up to a residential district or use.

Parking requirements are also being updated.

“The trend around the country is to scale it back. It helps with stormwater management and scales back the cost of development,” said Gulbronson.

“We’re creating these vast islands of asphalt,” he said, pointing to the massive Lowe’s parking lot in Millsboro, which he said is usually only “20 percent full.”

Mayor Gerry Hocker noted that the reduced need for parking also correlates with higher online sales. So, parking areas can be smaller, especially if the designer includes extra landscaping to improve stormwater drainage.

That being said, maximum impervious space on a lot is being bumped from 35 to 60 percent.

The council nailed down language and their preferences for conference centers, gyms and health facilities. Hotel and motel zoning requirements will be more similar to that of other businesses.

They’re still working on language for breweries and distilleries, which are only permitted when attached to a restaurant.

Botchie asked what was wrong with permitting a winery. “These types of businesses are up-and-coming.”

Kent said he feared an Anheuser-Busch rolling in with tractor-trailers if beverage-makers were permitted without requiring an attached restaurant.

Gas and service stations could be allowed as a conditional use — meaning the council would decide exactly what a developer must do before building.

Old and pending zoning applications will not be subject to the new requirements.

The Millville Town Council’s final review of Ordinance 16-01 will be done at its Tuesday, July 28, workshop, at 7 p.m. A public hearing and vote will be scheduled for a later date.

“We’ve had so many conversations one-on-one … that you all get it,” Botchie told the council.

Also at the July 14 meeting, Valerie Faden was appointed to the Board of Adjustment and sworn in.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark: Kids from across the country came to participate in the First State Work Camp at Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church.More than 400 youths from across the country traveled to Sussex County last month. Although most kids their age who spend their summer vacations traveling to the area come to enjoy a beach vacation, these particular youths were spending their time making a positive impact on local families.

“This is what we’re called to do — not just Mariner’s. We understand that God moves first in our lives. God pursues us, God loves us, and we have many blessings that God is able to give to us,” said the Rev. Woody Wilson of Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church, which hosted the First State Work Camp the youths attended.

“Therefore, as often as we can, as many ways as we can, for as long as we can, we’re supposed to be reaching out to help the many needs of folks — not only here but also abroad. First State Work Camp gives us the opportunity to locally love on the people here, help them with some of their needs and build some awesome relationships.”

Last month, Mariner’s CRASH (Creating Revolution And Saving Hearts) Youth Ministries hosted First State Work Camp, with participants coming from 13 different states (as well as two coming from Costa Rica), in which the youth helped provide free home repairs throughout the county, with the help of Group Cares.

“They have been planning mission trips for over 30 years,” said Christina Wilson, CRASH youth director. “For our part, we just had to take care of finding the sites. We had to raise over $40,000 to be able to buy the materials,” rent John M. Clayton Elementary School, where the youth stayed, “and take care of the meals.”

This was the second work camp the church hosted, after a successful 2012 work camp.

“We had gone on mission trips with our youth group to different places within the country and out of the country,” said Christina Wilson. “We got to the point where we had different ones ask, ‘How come we go away to work on homes to do these types of repairs?’ We really took a look at that, prayed about it, and felt that God said we needed to do something right here in our own area.”

Wilson said the church worked with a government agency out of Georgetown to locate area residents whose homes were in need of repairs.

“We sent application for the work camp to those folks, letting them know what we were going to be doing. It specifically stated it is free home repairs,” added Woody Wilson, noting that residents had to fill out the brief application to be considered.

The church also advertised in a local newspaper, contacted local towns and spoke to homeowners associations.

A total of 48 homes were impacted by the work camp — from roofing replacement to painting, siding repair to window replacement, exterior house washing to painting the exterior of a house.

“One gentleman’s wife died two weeks before camp, and then he received a call that his son had had a stroke and would be moving home from South Carolina,” said the pastor. “So we built a ramp so he would be able to take care of his son. Then there were other jobs that folks needed done — trash removal or general cleanup around their home.”

The skill levels of the youths who participated in work camp varied, and they were ranked from one to five.

“A person with a skill level of a one is kind of, ‘I know how to clean up and I know how to paint.’ Then, a five is a person with building experience or master carpentry experience, and were able to be crew leaders,” said Woody Wilson, adding that, once everyone was ranked, they were divided into crews for all 48 homes.

He said that, while the youth can leave the camp with a useful skill set, in terms of carpentry, the biggest thing they’re doing is building a relationship with the resident they do work for.

“At the beginning of the workday, we would have a devotional program in the school. Then they would leave and be on the worksite by 9 and work. They would pack a lunch at the school and take it with them. Then, at a certain point in time, they would have lunch at the site and the resident would either come out or they would go in,” he explained.

“They would have lunch with the resident — they would take a break right in the middle of the day and they would have devotions. So we would hear some really awesome stories at night, when the youth would come back in. They would call them ‘God sightings,’ about residents that said, ‘Wow, I never thought there was this much love.’… They were just able to build wonderful relationships with the residents.”

“One lady said she felt like she’d won the lottery,” added Christina Wilson, noting that one adult volunteer, who went on a mission trip when he was 16 years old, is a shining example of how the work camp can make an impact on a young person.

“He carries a picture of that mission trip in his wallet, just to help him remember that moment. That’s part of the reason why he’s in construction today, because he experienced that as a teenager. He just has this great gift to teach teens. He has that passion to share that with young people because it was shared with him as a teenager.”

Jean Spanutius, an Ocean View resident, was one of the 48 whose home was a worksite during First State Work Camp. A team of youths painted her deck, shutters and some trim, and repaired the ceiling in the garage, along with doing some yardwork.

“They were great kids — absolutely wonderful kids,” she said. “They were here for five days. It was hot outside, so they would come inside and eat lunch. I sat with them.”

Spanutius, a member of Mariner’s, said she was impressed by the youth.

“You only hear about the bad kids, but these kids were wonderful,” she said.

Once back at the school from their worksites, the youth would eat dinner and participate in an evening program of worship.

“On Friday night, the residents are invited to come out for the evening program, and it’s so neat to see the crews with their resident and just see the bonding that took place,” said Christina Wilson.

Woody Wilson said that, since the work camp ended, they have been contacted by the work camp’s youth, who want to check in on their residents.

“They want to continue — even across the miles — the relationship they were able to build with them because they care about them,” he said. “We commit to the residents ever after work camp is over. We make sure, as the church, that whatever was not completed — which we had six sites that were not completely finished — that they are finished.

“We also stay with them a year to 18 months. We’re contacting them, they’re contacting us. We invite them to come to church if they can. Some of the folks that have had deaths during that period of time, we help them with grief counseling or packets.

“We try to also get them connected with a faith-based community that’s close to them. Obviously, it’s not about, ‘Hey, 20 miles — come to Mariner’s!’ We don’t have the market cornered on love or Jesus or anything. We want to connect them with someone who is close to them, who can continue to love on them, to be with them and to speak into their lives, as well.”

With the work camp, he said, the youth were able to help build healthier communities through their fellowship.

“The work is kind of like the opened door. Almost everybody needs a little something done, but what we’ve found over the years — not just with work camp, but in life — when you help somebody with something … they really want to share their story with you. They want to share their life.

“That’s the rewarding part — being able to connect with the folks, talk to them and hear their story, to love on them and to be loved by them. We had residents from the last time who were in the same neighborhoods, or even on the same street, who saw we were out working and offered to help. They were providing drinks for crews. Some of them were coming over and helping do the work because they were so grateful.”

Christina Wilson said a starfish — the camp’s logo — is a perfect way to sum up the purpose of work camp.

“We use the story about the young boy who was walking on the beach. He found this starfish and threw it back into the ocean. And then a man comes along and realizes there are all these starfish and asks, ‘What are you doing throwing those starfish into the water?’ And the boy says, ‘Making a difference.’

“The man said, ‘There’re too many here. How are you going to make a difference?’ The boy throws another one in and says, ‘I made a difference to that one.’ If you can make a difference to one, you can make a difference, and that’s kind of the theme we carry out.”

He said First State Work Camp will return in 2018, but the church and its youth will continue to do outreach both locally and abroad.

In August, approximately 25 CRASH youth and volunteers will travel to Costa Rica to continue their mission work.

“God continues to provide opportunities to us to be able to meet people’s needs and to be able to help them,” said he said, noting that this will be the third community in Costa Rica that the church will be aiding. “We have youth who are in the process of building a church, a school and a community center in Costa Rica. It’s an ongoing mission from our church here. “

Woody and Christina Wilson said the good done through First State Work Camp is a reflection of Mariner’s and the people in the community.

“It is an absolute honor and a joy to me for Christina and I to, obviously, be married, but to be able to work by her side and to be able to plan and execute the visions God gives, and then invite our church and the community. The support and the love they have. The outreach and the trust that they have… To know that it’s not the two of us that do it. It’s way larger than us,” he said.

“We’re very proud of our youth and our church family. We love our church family,” she added.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Having already gained years of experience with the Town, Michael Deal will now help lead Selbyville as town administrator.Selbyville’s new town administrator is no stranger to the townspeople, or to the Town’s rules. Michael “Mike” Deal is coming off of nine years in Selbyville code enforcement to become town administrator.

He took on the role full-time on June 19, after a few weeks as interim administrator.

He’s already familiar with the way locals think. Now he’s learning how to run the Town. That means attending grant seminars and meeting with legislative leaders, so he can represent the Town of Selbyville and its interests at a higher level.

Deal said he aims to “to carry on with the traditions the town likes … this small-town America presence,” which also drew Deal to a place so like his own childhood home.

Deal has always been in public service one way or another. Before coming to Delaware, he had a 20-plus-year career as a correctional officer in Hagerstown, Md.

Then, gazing at the moon over the Atlantic Ocean, he and his wife were inspired to retire from state service and move to Delaware. They landed in Bethany Beach, now residing in Millville with enough room to host their grandchildren.

Since Deal came to work in Selbyville, he’s seen the outskirts of town expand as property was annexed in, creating new housing developments and more.

The industrial park has also grown, partly because the retired town administrator Robert “Bob” Dickerson helped make it so attractive to business, Deal said.

Deal complimented his coworkers at the Town of Selbyville.

“They get things done. The townspeople have a good crew here. Like that water leak — there wasn’t any hesitation. … They keep me in the loop.”

Town employees and council members stayed on-site late into the night when a 12-inch water main broke on July 13. Residents were advised to boil their tap water, in case of E. coli contamination, after a utility company caused Selbyville’s first major water leak, Deal said.

Unfortunately, the massive leak also drained the water towers. (An emergency valve that could have shut off the water had been underwater for so long that it had eroded and wouldn’t close properly.)

Although officials were “99.9 percent” certain at the time that the water quality was fine, government regulations required a closure.

“We’re thankful the townspeople were patient with us. I’m sorry it happened,” Deal said.

However, that was a learning experience, and now Town Hall is considering a notification system that would telephone residents during town emergencies.

“Hopefully, something good will come out of that, for other things, too,” Deal said.

Water and infrastructure is always in the back of town officials’ minds, “bringing them up to standards of the general public,” Deal said.

Deal said he is looking forward to the incoming water treatment towers. Still being designed, the new aeration system will remove volatile compounds (such as gasoline additives) from the water.

Selbyville is also in the design phase for repair of a deteriorated culvert at Railroad Avenue.

Now 58, Deal said he enjoys spending time with his family, skateboarding, motorcycling and improving his surfing skills.

“[I] thank the Town for allowing me to take this position, take the helm and run the Town,” Deal said. “I hope to be able to take the Town into the future,” with the guidance of past administrators and the long-serving council, he added. “I’m in it for a good cause and the long haul.”

Coastal Point • File Photo: USA East (Milford) pitcher Shaina Reid is greeted by some fired up teammates after blasting a homer in the 2014 Little League World Series. Right now the Pyle Center is lively with action from local softball All-Stars, but soon it will be lively with international ones, as well.

Both the Big League and Senior League World Series will return to Roxana on Sunday, Aug. 2, and span through Sunday, Aug. 8, drawing some of the top Little League talent from around the world.

Two-time World Series champion ASOFEM Little League will make their ninth consecutive appearance in Roxana in Senior League action, with teams from British Columbia (Canada) and the Philippines going against them, and Prague (Czech Republic) marking the first Czech team to play in a softball World Series.

In the Big League division, Delaware softball fans will have to wait to see if District I (Milford) will return to defend their title. But internationally, LLWS veteran squads, including Lombardia Little League from Milan, Italy, and the District I team from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will headline the action.

The games will be played at the Lower Sussex Little League Complex in Roxana, with play beginning on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m.

Games will go on through the Senior League championship game on Saturday, Aug. 8, and the Big League championship game on Sunday, Aug. 9, at noon.

As has been the case in recent years, the finals will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Volunteers are still needed to help run the concession stand. Anyone interested in volunteering, whether for just an hour or for the entire day, should contact Tracey Littleton at (302) 245-8130.

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

Although Judge Richard F. Stokes has upheld a Sussex County Board of Adjustment decision to grant a special-use exception to Allen Harim Foods for the renovation and utilization of the former Pinnacle Foods plant outside of Millsboro as a chicken processing plant, some Millsboro-area residents are still concerned about how the plant could affect their health.

This Saturday, July 25, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., The citizens’ group Protecting Our Indian River (POIR), along with Maria Payan of the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, will hold a public meeting at the Indian River Senior Center to discuss area pollution.

A Rapid Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was conducted by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health “to analyze the potential health impacts of the Harim Millsboro plant and create a report to provide more information to the community and stakeholders about the health status of residents in Millsboro and the status of air and water pollution.”

HIA is a method of assessing the potential effects of a policy, plan, program or project on the health of a population and the distribution of those effects within the population.

At the meeting, a presentation will be given by Leah Graves of the University of Maryland, with a question-and-answer session to follow.

The Indian River Senior Center is located at 214 Irons Avenue in Millsboro.

Kyle Prettyman, who had spent more than a month with her at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children.

Born a bright, happy girl on Sept. 14, 2014, she was recently diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease that is reducing her ability to eat, smile, sit up and breathe. But her family is doing everything possible to give her happy days, while the community raises funds for the baby’s palliative care.

Fundraisers are still popping up, including one scheduled at the former Trader Lee’s Bar in West Ocean City, Md., located at 9935 Stephen Decatur Highway. The O.C. House of Rock Fundraiser for Baby Alana is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. People can enjoy live music, a buffet, silent auction and raffles, all to benefit Baby Alana. “Hugs for Alana” tees will be sold there and online at www.squareup.com/market/HUGSFORALANA.

And, while the July 26 benefit at Cripple Creek Country Club has pretty much sold out, people can still get involved. Cash donations can be made directly to the family at www.gofundme.com/alanaprettyman.The family has also founded the Alana Rose Foundation for their daughter’s legacy.

Any donations they don’t use will be funneled to other families in need. The non-profit will help pay the bills for other parents caring for a sick child, just as the Delmarva community supported Alana’s family.

Raffle tickets are still being sold for big prizes, including a brand new washer/dryer set and a trip to Florida. Learn more online at www.facebook.com/hugsforalana.

Coastal Point • Maria Counts: Sussex County Council voted this week to draft an ordinance for a moratorium on off-premise billboards and electric signs.The Sussex County Council is considering placing a moratorium on off-premise billboards and electronic signs, following a discussion at this week’s council meeting.

Councilman George Cole requested the council discuss the County’s sign regulations, stating he had spoken to Dale A. Callaway, chairman of the County’s Board of Adjustment, regarding signage.

“He’s relayed to me that they have problems with these electronic signs… Basically, our ordinance needs to rewritten.”

Cole said there are electronic signs on two-lane roads, such as Route 26, “that are very distracting.”

“It’s getting out of hand,” he said. “The board doesn’t know what to do. They need direction from us.”

The County cannot wait until the Comprehensive Plan is updated, he opined.

“I’d like to see this council maybe stop accepting applications for X amount of time, so we can get this document on the table and help the Board of Adjustment address these issues. They don’t like it, but they’ve got to approve it,” he said of the signs in question.

County Solicitor J. Everett Moore said there is a concern with the BOA, as well as its attorney, James Sharp, based “just on the sheer volume and magnitude of sign applications.”

“In fact, they had addressed a letter to the council, asking for some input on sign issues, in regard to what could be done immediately.”

Cole said a moratorium would allow the County the time to put together an ordinance to address the signage issue.

“It’s time we address it, because the longer we sit back, it just gets worse and worse.”

Moore noted that the BOA had requested a workshop with the council to discuss what kind of changes they believe need to be made.

County Administrator Todd Lawson said the council had two options — wait for the County to hire consultants, which it is in the process of searching for, or to not wait and look at an ordinance that would slow or stop any kind of permitting moving forward in zoning.

“The problem with that is it’ll take weeks to get through,” he explained. “About the time we’re considering an ordinance to stop or slow down consideration of sign permits, we could perhaps be starting the workshop discussions that would fold into a sign ordinance rewrite by our consultants.”

“It’s another year before we get anything done,” said Cole of the option to wait for consultants to be hired. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve waited too long. In my frame of mind, it’s time to bring it to a halt. There’s enough billboards that are out there… It’s not like there’s a shortage out there. There is a need to address this.”

Assistant County Attorney Vince Robertson said that, if the council wishes to proceed with seeking a moratorium, an ordinance would have to be drafted. It would then be introduced, there would be public hearings before Planning & Zoning, and it would come back to council.

“Then we would start the exercise all over again with the sign ordinance…” he said. “Just so we’re clear, with the moratorium, we go through the same process with the ordinance change.”

Councilman Rob Arlett said he has noticed the signage issue, giving the example of a recently ad-wrapped commercial building on Vines Creek Road that was once a bait-and-tackle shop.

“Apparently, the seller could not get it sold, so what they chose to do, I’m guessing, is they made the entire building a billboard — I’m talking about the entire building has been wrapped as a billboard.”

Councilwoman Joan Deaver said she believes it is also a matter of public safety, with the potential for drivers to be distracted by roadside signage.

Councilman Sam Wilson said that, while others may have sign issues in their districts, he does not.

“If you want to make a moratorium, I’ll vote for it. George Cole’s district can have one, and Joan, if you want one, I’ll vote for yours, too. But I will not vote for one on the west side. I will not vote for it. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“This is a county problem, Sam,” responded Cole. “I’m getting sick and tired of everybody saying, ‘in my district…’ We sit here and we look out for the county. Sussex County comes first, Sam. Not your little district, not my little district. We have a county problem.”

The council voted 4-1 to draft an ordinance for a moratorium on off-premise billboards and electronic signs, with Wilson opposed. Moore said the draft would be ready for the council’s Tuesday, July 28, meeting.

Last July, Lower Sussex Little League had never won a state championship for softball. Less than a year later, they’ve won three — and they’re in the running for a forth.

Most of the Major League squad that made LSLL history last year jumped to the Junior League level for 2015, where Saturday night they won their second straight state championship by taking down District I (Camden-Wyoming), 20-6.

“This is a really good group of girls,” said head coach Mike Patille. “The girls who were not part of it last year — they’re jumping up and down higher than anyone. For them, this is the first ride.”

“We were really nervous going into Bristol [last year], but now that we’ve been there, we know that we’re going to be competition for these teams,” added pitcher Nicole Patille, who was part of the 2014 Major League team that went to Bristol. “I think we’re gonna have a better mindset, and we can win.”

Not only did the girls get past the top All-Star squads in the district and the state, but they also raised all the money necessary for the trip to regionals in less than a week — meeting a fiscal challenge they didn’t have last year, when some of their expenses were paid for at the Major League level.

But the Junior All-Stars aren’t the only team representing LSLL at the regional tournament in Connecticut for long. Just the next night, on Sunday, July 19, the Major Leaguers followed up by clinching their own division title — taking down Middletown-Odessa-Townsend (MOT) in a 6-2 thriller to earn a bid of their own.

“Last year, we had no idea what to expect. We didn’t have anybody to talk to, about what even goes on up there,” added first-baseman Morgan Bomhardt, who made the trip last year. “This year it’s gonna be a lot better. We know what to expect now.”

But just as the Major League All-Stars are following the precedent set by the Junior League All-Stars, the 9-10 All-Stars are taking note, as well.

Competing for the District III championship this week, the girls had already notched victories in the first three rounds, getting past Laurel 10-7 in Game 1, and Georgetown 12-2 in Game 2, behind pitcher Camryn Ehlers’ no-hitter. Most recently, the girls took down Woodbridge 11-5 to earn a bid to the district championship on Thursday, July 23, at 7 p.m. (after Coastal Point press time).

For more on the championship runs, turn to this week’s Sports section.

Coastal Point • Christina Weaver : Cole Haden on the Bethany Beach boardwalk. Haden will be performing at the Freeman Stage at Bayside event ‘Locals Under the Lights’ on Thursday, Aug. 27.Cole Haden grew up in Bethany Beach and Dagsboro, graduated from Sussex Central High School and is heading out to college after the summer. He could be just one of many teenagers in Sussex County, but Cole Haden is unique.
He was his class valedictorian. He has addressed a crowded Indian River School District Board of Education meeting and made his point. He is a barista at the Artful Bean, where he has a following of older patrons. And he is an actor and a musician, and has been accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
With intense, dark eyes and wearing his trademark blue under-eye glitter, Haden’s appearance conveys presence and poise. He is very much his own man.
“I attended a five-week camp at Berklee last summer and loved it. There was such a sense of community, ambition, drive and creativity there,” said Haden. “Then I went for a live in-person interview and audition. It’s cool that the camp counselors include some of the same faculty that I’ll be learning from this fall. My major will be electronic production and design.”
“I think that moving from Delmarva, where I was incubated as an artist and inspired by the presence of water — especially in winter — to the city of Boston will add a huge new dimension to my work,” he added.
The music genre that drives Haden’s passion is contemporary electronic.
“When I compose, it’s not notes on sheet paper. It’s more in the Björk and Depeche Mode style. I take avant-garde and pop influences, and experiment with triggered beats and samples while sticking to my fundamental trust in the human experience,” he said.
When this reporter looked at him blankly, he helped me out with an analogy.
“You know the modern abstract painter, Wassily Kandinsky? Well, he listened to sounds as inspiration for his visual art. I may look at a painting — how the paint was applied to the canvas, the blend and tone of color, its geometric forms and symmetry — and from that get inspired to compose.”

Haden is excited to have been selected to perform for a second time at the Freeman Stage as one of the Locals under the Lights on Thursday, Aug. 27. It is a free, bring-your-own-chair show starting at 7 p.m.
“My friend Ryan Phillips will be accompanying me on electric guitar,” said Haden. “It will be a 20- to 30-minute mini-set, a theatrical musical performance, in costume. It will be like my last hurrah as a high school graduate on stage in Delmarva — the culmination of everything thus far.”
His father, Rick Haden, said he is amazed by his son and is excited to watch as he continues to develop.
“But I’m not surprised,” he said. “He has never deviated from his dream from when he was 3 years old. He always wanted to perform and create his own full show.”
The Freeman Stage is not the only venue to see Cole Haden this summer. He is one of the actors on the Clear Space stage in Rehoboth every Saturday night at 10 p.m., with the Delaware Comedy Theatre (DTC).
David Warick is the founder and artistic director of the DTC, as well being the drama instructor at Sussex Central.
“I first met Cole six years ago, when we both performed in the play ‘Flyer’ — coincidentally at the Freeman Stage. Then I directed him in a couple of plays at the Southern Delaware School of the Arts, where I was a teacher and Cole a student. Subsequently, we were both at Sussex Central, and I will never forget his playing the lead in ‘Amadeus.’ I think he was still just a sophomore,” recalled Warick.
Rick Haden also was in awe of his son’s performance in “Amadeus.”
“We didn’t know anything about the role before we saw him on stage. He learned it all in his room after he went to bed at night… and he had to speak Italian, French and German, as well as English! Cole is as comfortable performing in front of 500 people as talking one-on-one.”
The Saturday shows at Clear Space throughout the summer are called “The Late-R Night Show.” It is an irreverent, adult improv comedy show that changes with each performance, depending on audience input and participation.
Warick he has been impressed with Haden’s versatility, physicality and goofiness doing improv comedy for the first time.
“The audiences love him,” he said. “My only advice to any future teacher of Cole is to get out of his way. He is so capable and creative, you just have to provide him opportunities and let him go.”
Haden said he knew in the eighth grade that he wanted to attend the best local high school for his interest in the creative arts. So he utilized “school choice” to go to Sussex Central after spending a day “job-shadowing” Judith Loeber, the department chair for visual, performing and technical arts, and nationally acclaimed artist.
“I had never heard the term before Cole called me,” said Loeber. “He followed me the entire day, sitting in on AP classes and talking to students. He had an unusual maturity and was obviously so bright and had such a variety of creative interests. We connected.”
In turn, Haden credits Loeber for not only encouraging artistic freedom but having an ear and making the time to listen, challenge and support.
“Until my senior year, I always felt on the outer circle of high school,” said Haden. “I thought in the eighth grade I might be gay, but I really tried to have a girl crush, and invited [the girl] to a middle-school dance. She wanted to sit on the bleachers and talk. Then Lady Gaga came on, singing my favorite, ‘Bad Romance.’ I knew all the choreography, and I couldn’t resist jumping up and dancing. I saw her watching me and knew in that moment it didn’t add up.
“Now I identify as pansexual, which means I’m attracted to a person’s being, and whichever gender is attached — I am open. Regardless, it’s not something I want to define me.”
It was coming home one evening last October and seeing a newspaper on his kitchen table with a headline that enraged him that pushed Cole Haden into the limelight as an activist and leader.
“There was a school board member, on the front page, saying something like, ‘It’s not OK to teach that it is OK to be gay.’ I just knew I must write something that captured what I was feeling and I had to be at that next school board meeting.”
In a short period of time, Haden had 300 signatures on a petition to allow the inclusion of reference to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and more) issues as a standard in health teaching materials.
He was the first to arrive at the next school board meeting, in order to be assured the opportunity to speak. His respectful, dignified tone was appreciated by all concerned and earned him lengthy applause and mention in several newspapers. The school board eventually agreed with his position and, later, the dissenting individual chose to resign.
“It made me realize the power of one individual’s voice and how thankful I am to live in this community,” said Haden. “The student body was so supportive. Since then, as a senior, I felt more connected and have a new sense of camaraderie. I’m ready to move on.”
“We are blessed to have three wonderful children,” said Rick Haden. “Cole is the eldest. Some people wanted him to study engineering at university because he is so good at math… Talking to him is like playing checkers vs. three-dimensional chess. But his passion is music and performing, and that’s what he must do.”
Talking fondly about his family, Cole Haden said, “I have twin sisters, Alexis and Erin, who are 16. As passionate as I am for music, they are about healing people. I’m sure they will practice some form of medicine in the future. Our parents are so supportive of us all.”
Cole Haden is a name to remember. His teacher, Judith Loeber sees his name in lights in his 20s and as a teacher himself in his 30s. David Warick sees Haden’s future as an absolutely unique performance artist in the mode of no other.
Come out and see Cole this summer so you will be able to say, “I saw him when…” Or listen to a taste of his music on http://soundcloud.com/
treeakacolehaden.
The websites to learn more about events at the Freeman Stage and Clear Space Theater are
www.freemanstage.org and www.clearspacetheatre.org.

Coastal Point • File Photo : Last year’s Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival had the boardwalk and Garfield Parkway circle packed with artists and crafters from all over the country.The Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce and presenting sponsor ResortQuest Sales/Rentals announced this week that the 37th Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival will be held on Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Held in downtown Bethany Beach, the annual event brings in more than 100 artists to showcase and sell their work with the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and Bethany Beach. The artists featured bring creations representing a variety of different media, including paintings, photography, woodwork, metalwork, clay, baskets, jewelry and porcelain.

The festival will have everything from a large interactive mural to a farmer’s market, wine tasting, silent auction and scholarship giveaway.
In addition to exploring the works of more than 100 artists, visitors can exercise their own artistic side by adding to the 2015 interactive mural. Festivalgoers can also pick up fresh local produce at the farmers’ market that gives visitors a taste of Delmarva.
For the wine-connoisseur, a special Wine Tasting will be hosted by Sedona, with food prepared by Sedona’s chefs and paired with three red and three white wines. Wine Pairing tickets are available in advance at www.theQuietResorts.com.
Two charitable events will round off the day: a Silent Auction and scholarship giveaway. The Silent Auction sponsored by Mediacom Residential will offer works or art donated by the festival’s artists. All proceeds from the auction will help support local art programs at four elementary schools in the Indian River School District.
Additionally, the Chamber and the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF) have once again collaborated to offer a $1,000 art scholarship for one local high school junior or senior artist. With five works of art in the running, public judging for the final prize will take place on the bandstand.
For more information on the Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival, visit www.BethanyBeachArtsFestival.com or call (302) 539-2100, ext. 118.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter : With offices and comfortable living space behind these garage bays, Sussex County paramedics have a new base near Ocean View and Bethany Beach.
As the local population goes, so go Sussex County paramedics — moving closer to the beach. Sussex County Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) cut the ribbon this week on their Medic 105 base, which moved from Route 17 in Clarksville to just outside Ocean View.
“Our biggest challenge was the communities to the east were growing,” said Robert “Robbie” Murray Jr., SCEMS operations division manager. “We constantly found ourselves going to the east.”

SCEMS was established around 1991, with five stations, Murray said. The South Coastal station (Medic 105) joined those in Lincoln, Blades, Lewes and southern Georgetown. In 1992, when Medic 105 set up shop in Clarksville, the entire SCEMS got 7,000 calls for service in a year. Today, that number is 21,000.
“We were getting longer response times to our ever-growing population close to the beaches,” said Director Robert Stuart.
This is the third station built specifically for the SCEMS. There’s an extra bay, and more space for potentially larger vehicles in future. The new location was already County property.
It shares space with Sussex County’s South Coastal Regional Wastewater Facility — which, despite its proximity to Ocean View, has a Frankford address, on South Coastal Lane.
“You can imagine what the acreage we needed in this neighborhood would cost,” mused Todd Lawson, County administrator.
Sussex County Council President Michael Vincent at this week’s dedication ceremony thanked the taxpayers who ultimately pay for public safety.
Paramedics are career employees of Sussex County. Most fire companies provide medical transport, but if a 911 dispatcher determines that the emergency is serious enough, he or she will call SCEMS, too. Ambulance staff can provide basic life support, but paramedics will jump on the ambulance, too, if needed.
“This unit provides advanced life support for this whole area,” so partnerships between agencies are very important, Murray said.
The opening of the new facility closes a chapter in which Medic 105 was based in the front yard of land on Route 17 rented from Larry and Sue Kelly.
“These guys are always easy … a pleasure, the best,” said Larry Kelly. “They’re on the ball. When they gotta go, they go.”

The good news was that no one was injured. But the tragedy was that the Wolfenbarger family lost everything else when their brand new home burned down on Thursday, July 16.
Two separate salvage companies have determined that none of their belongings was salvageable. The items that were lost were once special to Jeff and Kim Wolfenbarger and their teenage daughter, Isabel.
The family had only moved into the rental home, located on the 36000 block of Old Mill Bridge Road between Selbyville and Fenwick Island, a few months prior. Jeff Wolfenbarger even helped the landlord build the deck, while Kim was putting the finishing touches on interior décor.
“It was brand new. They were very excited about it,” said Jeff’s mother, Dayna Feher. “Things were just getting finished.”
On the night of July 16, Kim and Isabel were away visiting family. Jeff dozed off. When he woke up, he decided to run to the grocery store.
“He got back at 9 o’clock to see the house engulfed in flames. It spread very quickly because the [unfinished] second floor … was just like a huge tinderbox up there,” Feher said. “The house is destroyed. For them, everything inside was destroyed — everything.”
Only items that had been in the garage were salvageable, along with a few of Isabel’s personal items.
Although Feher suggested the cause might have been electrical, the fire’s cause was still under investigation this week.
“Someone has graciously given them a place to live for a while, until they find a home to move into,” Feher said. They hope to rent again in the south coastal area between Route 113 and the beaches, she noted.
The community has stepped up, from Jeff Wolfenbarger’s old D.C. classmates to his Resort Quest coworkers. Some people even drop off checks for her son at Feher’s office.
“He and his family are overwhelmed and grateful, … as am I,” said Feher of the donations and the prayers.
“Donations will be used to purchase not just furniture, but all the other things we take for granted, such as kitchen items, computers, TVs, bedding, towels, phone chargers, and the list goes on...” Annie McDannel wrote when she created her nephew’s crowd-funding donations page. “Unfortunately, the renters’ insurance was not in place yet — they were working on getting it transferred, never dreaming they would actually need it.”
“A lot of people have volunteered furniture, but for right now, it’s really difficult to accept furniture until they find a home to move into,” Feher noted.
Monetary donations can be made online at www.gofundme.com/Wolfenbarger-Fire.

An ordinance that would establish a moratorium for off-premise sign applications in Sussex County was introduced before the Sussex County Council earlier this week.
The draft ordinance, which was introduced by Councilman George Cole on July 28, states that the council “views the placement of off-premises signs as an important public-safety issue” and believes that “the recent proliferation of off-premises signs has a detrimental effect on the safety and welfare of the citizens of Sussex County.”
If approved, the moratorium would direct the Sussex County Planning & Zoning office to decline applications for special-use exceptions for off-premise signs for a period of six months.
The moratorium is designed to allow the County “a reasonable time period for the review and study of off- premises signs, the preparation of proposed legislation to address resultant issues, and the consideration of said legislation.”
“I think they’re very distracting,” said Councilwoman Joan Deaver.
Councilman Sam Wilson said he was against a moratorium, which he said would cost the County money.
“Sussex County will lose 50 cents for every square foot of sign that we stop. Fifty-cents,” he said. “With the permits … we get 25 cents every year, per foot, off every sign that’s put on a billboard. That’s real money.”
Wilson also said he hasn’t heard from any of his constituents who are “dogmatically against” off-premise signs.
“I’ve had people say, ‘It doesn’t bother me.’ I’ve literally gone out and talked to, probably, 100 people.”
Cole said he has spoken with one of the major sign companies in the western side of the county, who supports it 100 percent.
“He said a lot of it has gotten out of hand,” said Cole. “He said he supported it and didn’t have any problems with it.”
Cole added that the council is responding to the Board of Adjustment’s concerns and complaints from county residents.
“In the end, I know this has been an issue. It’s been a concern — mostly for Councilman Cole, as it relates to conversations he’s had with people from within his area,” said Councilman Rob Arlett. “I look forward to learning more about the signs.”
Dan Kramer of Greenwood spoke out against the County’s proposed moratorium.
“I think it’s mighty stupid to put a moratorium on these signs,” said Kramer. “It shows you’re anti-business — that, and you don’t care about business.”
Kramer said he hopes the County’s Planning & Zoning office will be inundated with off-premise sign application requests until the moratorium goes into effect.
“I’m hoping these companies will come in here and slap as many permits and overload this system to no end between now and then. Have at it.”
The council voted 4-1 to introduce the proposed moratorium, with Wilson opposed.
Also at the July 26 council meeting, County officials unveiled its enhanced web-based mapping portal, which is designed to help the public better understand land use in Sussex County.
The geographic information system-based (GIS-based) replaced the County’s older “clunky” system, which County Administrator Todd Lawson said was difficult to navigate.
The new system includes up-to-date zoning information, flood zones, 911 addresses, election districts, school districts, library locations and other data.
“This platform will grow in time and remain current with any information we decide to place up here,” said Lawson. “It’s a great interactive experience… We’re very pleased with the way this came out.”
To view the new platform, visit www.sussexcountyde.gov/sussex-county-mapping-applications.

Councilwoman Diane Tingle was the first to broach the topic of Fenwick Island’s voter registration process at the July 24 town council meeting, using the “old business” segment of the meeting to refresh memories about an ordinance the Town adopted in 2008, as part of efforts in Fenwick and other municipalities statewide to comply with changes in Delaware election law.
She noted that the Town had, in August of 2008, notified all of its potential voters that they were required to register or re-register with the Town as part of the changes, as the Town’s existing voter registration rolls were being restarted with a blank slate.
Among the changes included in the state election laws that year was a requirement that voters representing artificial entities, such as trusts and limited-liability corporations (LLCs), were required to have a notarized and executed power-of-attorney proving that they were authorized to vote on the entity’s behalf before they could vote in any election.
But some potential voters weren’t aware of that change and may be surprised to learn they’re not be eligible to vote on Aug. 1 if they didn’t re-register or haven’t gotten the paperwork needed to prove they have the right to vote in Fenwick, former councilman Peter Frederick and a number of other citizens complained during comments from the public at the end of the July 24 meeting.

Non-residents’ voting rights remain sticky issue

Fenwick is one of a handful of towns in Delaware that allows non-resident property owners to vote in municipal elections, nearly all of them being the area’s beach towns, with their large percentages of part-time residents and investment buyers.
Before a series of reforms in the last decade, having a town official know someone was part of a family that owned property in the town had been enough to ensure Fenwick property owners were allowed to vote at the polls.
By the time the statewide reforms were made in 2008, formal documented proof of eligibility to vote was a requirement in local towns, even setting up situations in which an election official might have to send their own spouse home for their driver’s license before they were allowed to vote.
However, Fenwick Island hasn’t had a town council election in all those years.
“It’s a lot of hard work, because we haven’t had an election in a long time,” Tingle said last Friday of getting the Town’s voter rolls up to date for the 2015 election, which will fill four of seven council seats.
That work has been getting done by the town manager and town clerk, who serve as registrar and assistant registrar, and a preliminary voter list was approved by the council on May 29 and handed off to the town board of election for ongoing updates until the close of voter registration. An in-person registration deadline of June 30 and mailed registration deadline of July 8 allowed for additions to that list for more than a month afterward.
But Frederick argued on July 24 that the changes resulting from the 2008 law may have resulted in the disenfranchisement of as many as 60 percent of the town’s property owners, despite the memo sent out to everyone in 2008.
“This was done legally, but I’m talking about the image,” he said, noting recent council decisions made in the off-season by a council dominated by full-time residents. He noted the impact of property ownership legalities on voters, when a couple owning property jointly would have had two votes but owning property via a trust would have just one.
Frederick argued that, while the law was adopted in 2008, it was never actually “implemented” until someone registered to vote under the new rules.
“People are finding out ‘I’m not allowed to vote, and if I am allowed to vote, I have a single vote, and I have to have a power-of-attorney.’ I would suggest that since people didn’t start registering to vote until the last three months — I think we made a mistake by not notifying the public and assuming, what we did in 2008, people would remember now,” he said.
Frederick argued that the town code requires a voter list to be presented to the council and that the council then decide how to handle the cases of people proposed to be dropped from the list, whether because of death, sale of property or other reasons. He said those people dropped from the list would need to be notified and be able to appeal.
“Has anybody put together a list with no-longer-eligible voters?” he asked. “People are excited to participate in this election, and that’s good; but when they go in to vote and find out they can’t, I don’t think the Town is doing a service to its property owners.” He argued that the Town hasn’t followed its own code as regards to such notification and appeals.
With the election set for just a week later, he said, “I do know people who tried to vote absentee” and weren’t permitted to, because they didn’t get a power-of-attorney notarized.”
Frederick said notice about eligibility in some cases was sent to a home address elsewhere, when the property owner in question was in Fenwick for the near-term.

Town solicitor sees no irregularities in process

Town Solicitor Mary Schreider-Fox said that, while she hadn’t been working with the Town at the time of the changes in 2008, “I can say, pursuant to my review of the historical information I have, there doesn’t seem to be anything irregular when those changes were made.”
Regarding notification about the change, she said, “I’m not aware of any special notice that has to go out when there is a charter change. It is effective when passed by the legislature. And, as long as it is properly noticed when passed, after hearings and a vote of the town council, it becomes effective.”
Schreider-Fox said that, if there are certain extra things the Town can do, it might be a good idea, but that just because there might have been a failure for someone to receive notification, that didn’t make the election or registration process unlawful. “I’m very sure the Town staff has been doing its best to follow the charter and code as closely as possible. As far as I know, each notice that has been required … has been done.”
With the adoption of the voter rolls on May 29, she added, the council had taken action on any changes. Town Manager Merritt Burke said that a list of anyone having been determined to be deceased had been given to the board of election and the town clerk for reference in registrations.
“Were the people who were stricken notified?” Frederick asked.
Tingle offered that she had a friend who had asked her if they were registered, and she had told them to check with town hall, and they were registered now.
“That is not what the charter says you do,” Frederick replied. “It says you have to notify them.”
Others present at the July 24 meeting said they weren’t sure two weeks before the election was sufficient notice of not being eligible and that some people had received such a notice in the last two weeks.
Schreider-Fox asked if they were asserting that, in a case when a property was jointly owned in the past and was now held in a trust or LLC, the Town needed to notify the property owner that their voting right had changed.
She said it was an issue of “constructive notice,” with there being a practical issue of the Town knowing or notifying someone when their individual rights were affected. “Once laws ... become effective, the whole public is deemed to be on notice,” she said.
“The Town can’t be required to be aware of each person’s situation. The Town has asked people to update their registration, and they have discovered it has changed. If they filed a trust a month ago and it changed, or if their residency status changes, the Town might not know about it. The approach the Town took was to notify people to update their registration.”
Schreider-Fox said changes in voter eligibility were noted as people updated their information with the Town. With the adoption of the voter rolls on May 29, town staff said, the only changes since had been to add new registrants, and not even the newly deceased had been removed from the list. Only if someone tried to register to vote as an LLC were they told they needed a power-of-attorney, they said, as the staff has no way of knowing if “John Smith” represents an artificial entity unless they review individual tax records.
Schreider-Fox added that she would have to review individual cases to see if particular individuals who were on the May 29 list were still allowed to vote, and some of them may need that power-of-attorney to do so if they aren’t already voting as residents. She also pointed out that the power-of-attorney isn’t a requirement for registration, but rather a requirement for such a person to be eligible to cast a vote.

Recommendation is not to cancel election

Councilman Bill Weistling asked Schreider-Fox to make a recommendation as to how to handle the election, given the controversy.
“I don’t want to advise you to cancel. If your inclination is to cancel it, we’ll have to consult with the state election commissioner,” she said. “In any election, if somebody feels anything is improper, they can challenge it. It would go to a judge, and theoretically they could set the election aside.”
Frederick emphasized that his objective in raising the issue hadn’t been to embarrass the Town. “I just don’t want people to come to vote and be told they can’t vote. There has to be a way to agree to a list,” he said.
Schreider-Fox noted that, under Town code, registration is not complete until it is approved and accepted by the registrar, so even once the paperwork is submitted, the registrar has to be satisfied with the proof of eligibility provided, which may not always be the case at that instant.
“The code says it’s up to that person to bring it in,” she said. “They have moved, in some cases, to get that proof, and some have brought it in on their own. But my reading of the code supports the process the Town has followed.”
She said that when people have experience with prior rules, changes can cause chaos. “They’re making a technical reading of the requirements and following them as closely as they can,” she said of Town staff. “The Town staff is proceeding appropriately, as far as I can tell.”
Resident Paula Mumford aimed to put the issue in perspective. “We’ve all learned something from this; but at some point you have to be responsible, and they’ve reminded people to register and reminded them again. You have to take responsibility to ensure you’re registered.”
Schreider-Fox said that, as long as the documentation a would-be voter provides satisfies the details of requirements of the election, “you’re good to go” for voting on Aug. 1.
Frederick asked whether, in the potential event of someone needing to get a document notarized as part of that requirement, the Town could make a notary public available on-site during in-person voting on Saturday. Burke said he would ensure that a notary was present.
“Well, that will solve some of that,” Frederick said, concluding discussion of the issue on July 24.
Voting in the 2015 town council election runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at town hall on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark: The Pink on the Patio event at Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club always produces plenty of smiles, and good deeds.

For the 19th year, the women of Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club are doing their part to fight breast cancer. A co-ed golf tournament, as well as a ladies-only event, will be held to raise funds for the Delaware Breast Coalition.
Started in 1997 by Ellen Stephens, who passed away last year, the fundraiser in its augural event had 52 players, resulting in a donation of $850 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation that year.
“Over the last 18 years, we’re up to the $388,000 mark,” said organizer Judi Davis. “We’re hoping to go over the $400,000 mark this year, which we should do with no problem.”
Five years ago, the beneficiary of the event changed from Komen to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, to keep the money that is raised local.
“This is the fifth year we’ve given to Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, in order to keep the money in the state of Delaware, because when you give it to Komen you have no idea where it goes or who it helps. This way, we know it’s people who are residents of Delaware who get the benefits.”

This year’s golf tournament will be held Aug. 12, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Those who participate can enjoy a continental breakfast prior to play, and receive golf carts, goodie bags and other gifts.
“DBCC is gifting everyone an insulated tumbler and players also have lunch,” said Davis.
The tournament is open to both men and women, with an entry fee of $100.
“It’s not a women-only tournament,” emphasized Davis. “One man said to me the other day, ‘I didn’t know it was open to men.’ We’ve never said it’s a women’s tournament… I said, ‘I play in the prostate tournament, and I don’t have a prostate.’ Hopefully, we’ll get some men out this year.”
A handicap is not necessary for those who wish to play in the tournament. Davis said first-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded for the women’s division, along with a first prize for the men’s division.
As part of the fundraiser, Pink on the Patio — a women-only event — will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 11, the eve of the tournament, including heavy appetizers, a cash bar and plenty of dancing.
D.J. Brian K. Hall will be returning to emcee the event and provide tunes for the luau-themed evening.
“Brian plays a lot of oldies… It’s music people are familiar with, the Slide and the Twist.”
Davis said those attending are encouraged to wear luau attire or pink.
“There’ll be some games they’re going to do, like pass-the-coconut and a couple of other goofy things throughout the night,” she said, adding that a prize will be awarded for Best Costume.
A small auction solely for those attending will be set up in the club’s gallery, to allow attending ladies to bid for a chance to win goodies.
However, there will be a “Chinese auction” and silent auction that will run throughout the two days, which boasts prizes including restaurant gift certificates, artwork, an upholstered chair and two coolers of cheer.
“We expect to have enough donated booze, which comes from the nine-and 18-hole ladies’ golf groups, to do two coolers,” said Davis. “Chance tickets are available for that.”
The club’s patio was recently renovated, said Davis, providing a lovely setting for the event. She noted all are welcome to attend and support a worthy cause.
“There are some women who look forward to it every year. Evidentially, they like going out without their husbands once in a while,” she said. “They get out there and dance, and just have a wonderful time. A lot of them come in groups. One lady needed 10 tickets for her neighbors; somebody else needed eight tickets for her bridge group, and things like that.
“People come in little groups, and most people knows everybody anyway, but it is open to anyone, not just club members — anyone who just wants to have a good time.”
Tickets are required for Pink on the Patio and may be purchased from any committee member or in the club office. Reservations may be made at the club by phone and tickets picked up the night of the event. To register for the golf tournament, golfers should contact the Cripple Creek pro shop. For more information, call Cripple Creek, at (302) 539-5359.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter : An early-morning fire on Monday, July 27, did severe damage to Pomeroy’s Tavern in Selbyville.

Lynn Pomeroy tried to be positive as he surveyed the charred remains of his family’s business. But that was a challenge after a devastating fire swept through Pomeroy’s Tavern and package store on Monday, June 27.
The Selbyville Volunteer Fire Company got the call at 5 a.m., responding with three other companies, plus another six secondary stations and five on standby, said Fire Chief Matthew Sliwa.
Opened in 1924, Pomeroy’s celebrated 90 years of business last September.
“I’m in shock night now. I spent every Christmas … in front of that fireplace,” Pomeroy said, pointing to the charred remains of the fireplace his grandfather had built. “When I was born in Salisbury, this is the first place I stopped when I came home. … It was a very magical place for me.”

His grandparents built the tavern in 1924, using cypress trees out of the Great Cypress Swamp.
Under grandfathered permits, Pomeroy’s had a rare Delaware tavern license and Selbyville pool table.
The two-story building had just undergone renovations for nearly a year, with the final permits nearly in reach. Drywall was ready for the hanging. Patrons were so close to taking advantage of the new kitchen, bathrooms and central air.
“We were way under-insured. I lost three-quarters of a million dollars today,” Pomeroy said.
The fire’s cause is still under investigation. Pomeroy said he had heard it might have begun in the kitchen area, but that had not been confirmed mid-week.
A passing motorist called the fire in, but no one knows how long it was smoldering. When police woke the family up, the fire was spreading quickly.
“The fire department was out here, en masse — an outstanding group of people,” said Pomeroy, especially grateful, he said, “considering they were all volunteers.”
Facing Route 113, the log cabin-style exterior belies the now-gutted building behind it.
“Every window had fire in it, and it was going through the roof,” Sliwa said he was told when he got the call.
“It’s an old building. It’s a lot of dry wood,” said Sliwa, who estimated that the fire came under control after about two hours, although crews were on-scene for much longer. “Everyone went home safe, and we’re very happy about that.”
“We want to thank our patrons for the last 90 years,” Pomeroy said, both looking back at the business’ history and trying to find hope for its future.
He recalled the annual holiday buffet his grandmother served to the locals. After his grandfather built the den and fireplace, people enjoyed it so much that he added a restaurant and kitchen, he said.
“We made it through the Depression … and the last economic crisis,” Pomeroy said. “We’re going to try to be back at it again.”
He said he was already brainstorming ways to salvage the wood to create tables and bar tops. But “it certainly hurt us, financially.”

Fenwick Island voters will select more than half of the town council when they take to the polls on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. at town hall. Four seats on the seven-member council are up for election this year, with six candidates in the race.

Two of the candidates — Gene Langan and Roy Williams — are running for re-election to their current seats, while Richard Mais is running for a full term after having been appointed recently to complete remaining weeks of the term of former councilman Todd Smallwood. The three challengers are Lisa Maria Benn, Ann Louise Christ and Julie Lee, who are running in an informal slate with Williams, known collectively as the “Fenwick Four.”

The fourth seat up for election this year is the one that has been held by outgoing Council President/Mayor Audrey Serio, who is leaving the council after 12 years — including nine years as mayor.

Voters must have registered with the Town of Fenwick Island before July 8 to be eligible to vote in the election. Absentee ballots are available for those who cannot vote in person on Aug. 1. An affidavit must be filed with the Town no later than noon on the day prior to the election, and absentee ballots must be received prior 5 p.m. on Aug. 1. Identification is required for anyone who wishes to obtain an absentee ballot and for voters at the polls.

The Town plans to have a notary public on-site for voting on Saturday, in an effort to address concerns aired at the July 24 council meeting about the voting eligibility of those voting on behalf of trusts and other artificial entities. Under state law passed in 2008, those voters must now have a notarized, executed power-of-attorney indicating that they have the voting authority for the property in question.

As is customary, the Coastal Point has posed a slate of questions to the six council candidates, to help voters make an informed choice at the polls on Saturday. Their answers are below, in alphabetical order.

Lisa Benn

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. I believe that “freeboard” should be voluntary. Let homeowners make their own decisions. The Town Code puts other restrictions on building a home — the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the floor area ratio. In addition, Sussex County has numerous rules about changing the grade of your lot. The Town Code only allows a single-family home to have two living levels. Almost all, if not all, of the lots in Fenwick Island can incorporate “freeboard” and still build two living levels. I would like to see Fenwick Island remain a low-profile community.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. Sea-level rise is beyond the control of our small community. Minimizing the effects should be our main goal. We should work with state and federal authorities to determine what resources are available to us to accomplish this goal. Localized flooding can be controlled through better drainage. The Town needs to continue to pursue all available options to lessen the flooding problems we face here in Fenwick Island.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. The Town currently charges non-property owners for parking, and I see no reason to change this policy. The parking problems we are experiencing are those for commercial properties. There needs to be careful planning and discussions before a commercial property is developed.

Regarding signage, the Town Council just approved a 50 percent increase in signage. I think we should monitor how this increase is implemented and make adjustments as necessary. The Council should work with the business community to address their needs while actively seeking input from the citizens to make sure their concerns are also addressed.

Crosswalk safety, speeding and how to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety along Coastal Highway should be a priority. U-turns are also a problem. We should work with the Delaware Department of Transportation to see what changes can be made as they control speed limit, street markings and signal timing along Coastal Highway.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. I have served on the Board of Directors for the Pasadena Junior Chamber of Commerce in Pasadena California, the Board of Trustees for Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va., and I was the president of the Parent’s Association for Flint Hill School, as well. Serving on a governing body is not new to me, and I know what the commitment is.

I was also the accounting manager for a manufacturing firm and the business manager for a nonprofit health policy organization. Using my organizational and technical skills, I feel I have something to offer to the Town Council, as well as bring a new perspective to the Council. I, along with over 80 percent of property owners of Fenwick Island, am considered a non-resident although I have resided here full-time from June to September for the past 15 years and plan on residing here full-time when my son graduates from high school next year. If elected, I plan on attending all council meetings and working on various committees, as well.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. The voters should know that, as a council member, I would work to preserve the Fenwick Island I fell in love with over 25 years ago. We have beautiful beaches and are considered one of the “quiet resorts.” I believe that the Town Council works for the people. As a member of Town Council, I would listen to them and they would always know where I stand on any issue.

Ann Louise Christ

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. In order for new home builders to receive a reduction in NFIP premiums, the lowest floor of a structure built must be 1 foot or more above the BFE. However, there is no need to raise the roof height to meet this new standard. Existing homes will not be penalized with increased insurance rates.

I am not aware of a property in town where this cannot be applied in order to build a two-story home using the 30-feet-from-the-center-of-the-road restriction. Thus, I am in favor of voluntary freeboarding up to 18 inches with no height increase. Adding height to a building will do nothing to mitigate a foot of floodwater on the ground. Most existing homeowners, including Council members, have already incorporated freeboarding in their homes without adding on to the building height.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. When the ocean washes over the dunes and the bay waters go over the bulkheads, there is nothing that can be done except evacuate. Homeowners understand that this type of flooding is part of living along the coast. However, when we have stormwater runoff that floods the ground on the bayside, then there are some steps that can be taken.

• Work with the State and County to adopt some feasible stormwater management plans.

• Re-evaluate the outdated drains installed by the Town over a decade ago since they do not work and only intensify flood damage.

I do not believe that we are under immediate pressure to make decisions on sea-level rise. I think we should make educated decisions based on studies made by Delaware’s Sea Level Rise Committee and not be rushed into making possible unnecessary changes at this point.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. Unfortunately, the town council has already made changes increasing the commercial sign sizes and commercial property setbacks without much input from residents. Parking requirements should also be thoughtfully made so we do not have another situation such as Ropewalk, where there is not adequate parking for their customers.

Some years ago, the Charter and Ordinance Committee recommended changes to the restaurant parking rules so that the square footage of the business determined how many parking spaces and tables were allowed. This has caused problems not only for restaurant customers, but also for homeowners in the immediate area. All commercial properties should have ample parking in the building plan submitted for approval. I also think there should be more concern for pedestrian safety, especially along Coastal Highway, where a priority plan to improve it needs to be made.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. I have had many leadership positions in local, state and national organizations. I feel any homeowner should be eligible to be on council as long as they are able to meet the requirements of a council member as spelled out in the Charter. I find it peculiar that after more than five uncontested elections, some property owners are upset by the candidates who volunteered to run this year, describing us as a “derision.” I want to serve this town because it is the honorable thing to do. I am not a career politician, but rather a responsible and diligent person who has the time to give back to the community I love.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. Like most of the voters in this town, I want to see Fenwick remain a small family-oriented community. I believe in thoughtful commercial development. I also believe in open, transparent communication with homeowners, allowing them to have a voice in making important decisions, such as height increases, possibly doubling motel density and allowing elevator shafts built above the height restriction, all of which have recently been brought up to the council.

I am saddened by those who want to keep part-time residents off the council. Past council history points out there have been excellent members, such as Harry Haon, who claimed full-time residence elsewhere. About 70 percent of the town consists of part-time residents, and these folks should have a voice in how the town is run. In fact, many of the full-time residents are happy to be snowbirds in the winter. Vicki Carmean’s statement is so true. “It is time for some fresh ocean air to sweep through the Town Hall.”

Gene Langan

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. I have proposed that the Town Council send a survey to all the property owners in Fenwick Island for their opinion about freeboarding. There are 814 houses and lots in Fenwick, and we have had no input from approximately 665 of these owners. The results of the survey will determine my position. As a Council member, I have a fiduciary duty to support the majority.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. Sea-level rise is a reality and Fenwick is one of the lowest-lying areas on the East Coast. The Town and the State have completed studies with recommendations. We now need to work together to develop plans implementing those recommendations to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise, particularly on the vulnerable bay side properties.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. The Town convened an Ad Hoc parking committee (2013-2014) that addressed the parking issues and subsequent solutions. I was a member of that committee, and we were able to create more parking spaces on bayside streets. We worked closely with businesses in town and were able to help them find solutions for staff parking. Like all Delaware beach towns, parking is always going to be a problem, and we will continue to seek answers. The current Council has worked very closely with business and commercial entities in Fenwick Island, and if I am on Council, I will continue to work in close cooperation with this important part of F.I.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. Citizens should vote for me because I have been on the Council for six years, and have been vice mayor for three years. I serve on six committees, and I founded and chair the Technology Committee. That makes me more than qualified to continue to serve on the Council. I have more experience, I have great leadership qualities and I have a complete working knowledge of Fenwick Island, more so than any of the new candidates. I believe it is preferable to be a full-time resident of Fenwick Island. Serving on Town Council and on the requisite Committees requires many, many hours of dedicated commitment. Frequent trips in the off-season to Fenwick Island to fulfill these obligations would not be easy.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. Voters should vote for me because of my qualifications listed in Question 4. In addition, I co-founded two health care service companies which were subsequently sold to public companies, and I served on the Boards of Directors of 10-plus entities. My major issues are sea-level rise and pedestrian safety.

Julie Lee

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. Freeboarding makes sense. Whether mandated or voluntary, I cannot imagine anyone building or remodeling a home in a coastal area without incorporating freeboard into their plan. It protects property and helps with insurance costs. Most homes in Fenwick Island already have freeboard. It can be done within the current height limit. The height limit in Fenwick Island is an emotional issue. I support maintaining the current height limit. Any discussion about height limit changes must include the entire community. Any decisions must reflect the desires of the property owners.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. The Town should provide residents with the information available, and coordinate with local, state and federal agencies. We must effectively address drainage issues. Larger issues must be addressed cautiously. Some manmade attempts to “control” water have caused more damage than good. There is no fooling Mother Nature. We must continuously update our safety and evacuation plan.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. Fenwick Island is, first and foremost, a quiet residential community. We should encourage small-business owners to come to our town. We also must preserve our unique character. Any changes to regulations and zoning need to be done thoughtfully and carefully, and with community input. The Council’s primary focus must be on public safety and residential impact. The community must have trust in the decision-making process of their elected officials.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. I served on the F.I. beach committee for several years. I served on the Honolulu Council commission that administered over $10 million in federal HUD grants annually.

I have a degree in economics from UVA. As a military wife, I have spent my life serving as a volunteer, chairing or presiding over more than a dozen civic, school and church organizations. I am an experienced leader, organizer and fundraiser with strong budget and managerial skills. I am a consensus builder.

Discussions about full- and part-time residency and property location are nothing more than silly and divisive distractions to draw attention away from the true qualifications of the candidates. It has been going on for years. Important qualifications are the willingness and ability to serve. After many years with no elections, it is good that we have candidates committed to serve. All of the candidates are qualified and available to fulfill the obligations of the office.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. There is no place on earth that I love more than Fenwick Island. I have been coming here almost 60 years and have had my home here over 15 years. I am eager, willing and qualified to serve in this important position of leadership and responsibility. I understand the concepts and issues at hand. I will communicate with residents and will be responsive to the community. I am serious about my commitment to Fenwick Island. Together we can preserve the best of it and work carefully to improve it.

Richard Mais

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. I support voluntary freeboarding and an allowance for additional building height. The recent flooding, most notably during Sandy, illustrates the need for addressing the issues of future flooding and rising seas. Freeboarding and an increase in the building height are the best ways to provide for the safety of our property owners and their guests and to decrease the damage to our properties. Most of our neighboring towns and communities have already allowed freeboarding and raised building heights as appropriate. There have been no adverse effects from this as far as I know.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. As mentioned in the answer to the first question, I think freeboarding and a corresponding increase in the building height is one step we can take. The Town also should continue exploring the elevations of our streets and possibly raising them where appropriate to help mitigate severe flooding. I think the continuation of beach replenishment, as needed, will greatly help the Town prevent damage from rising sea levels.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. I think the Town has done an excellent job of addressing issues on parking, signage and commercial property as they have come up. I agree with all the recent changes that provided a balance between the needs of our residential and commercial property owners. I am satisfied with the regulations we have in place now, however, as new issues and concerns arise, I would work for reasonable, fair changes for the common good of us all.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. I am a year-round full-time resident of Fenwick Island since 1992 and property owner since 1983. I have served three different times on the Town Council and held the positions of treasurer and commissioner of beach safety. I have owned and operated a small business, McCabe’s Gourmet Market in South Bethany, Del., with my wife, Rebecca, for 30 years. We raised two children here in Fenwick Island.

I have extensive involvement and experience with the community as a life member of the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company (which has a Station No. 2 located in Fenwick Island), president-elect of the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, member of the Fenwick Island Planning Commission, the River Soccer Club and Friends of the South Coastal Library.

With all of these different experiences and living here full-time for 30 years, I feel that I have the qualifications to represent all of the residents of Fenwick Island. As I know from previous terms on the Town Council, it is important that our Council members be here full-time to address the issues and problems facing out Town as they come up. Our Town operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. I am a candidate with an open mind to the issues and changes facing out Town. I want to maintain Fenwick Island as a friendly, safe town for our families. I am committed to maintaining the quaintness and family atmosphere of Fenwick Island. We own two of the oldest remaining “cottages” in Fenwick Island. My sister-in-law, Dr. Kimberly Grimes, is the president of the Fenwick Island Historical Society. My wife’s grandfather, Vance McCabe, was on the original Town Council that incorporated and founded the Town of Fenwick Island.

Roy Williams

Q. What is your position on freeboarding? Discuss your position on mandatory or voluntary freeboarding and the idea of an allowance for additional building height based on freeboard.

A. I would support an 18-inch voluntary freeboard with no increase in building height.

Q. What, if anything, do you feel the Town should do to address issues related to flooding and sea-level rise?

A. The Town paid for studies on flooding and sea-level rise. After hearing the results, I feel a lot more discussion is needed by council and residents on what can be done. Some people have already raised their lots to street level or higher with fill dirt before they build. Living on a barrier island has risks, and everyone who lives here made the choice knowing the risks.

Q. Do you feel the Town should look at making changes to regulations on parking, signage or commercial property? If so, what kind of changes would you favor? Are there other changes or programs you would want the Town to explore or support?

A. I support no changes to parking regulations at this time. The Town made recent changes to signage and flag displays and commercial property regulations. I would like the voter registration procedures revised.

Q. What are your qualifications to serve on the council? Discuss whether and how full-time residency, council meeting attendance and location of a potential council member’s property should impact their qualifications.

A. I served on the council for two years. Also, I have been on five committees (Charter & Ordinance, Budget, Parks, Beach and Environment). I owned and operated a small business in McLean, Va., with up to 20 employees for 30 years. In Fenwick, four council members must live within 50 miles of the Town. The other three can live anywhere. All committed council members will make their pledge to attend meetings and participate, so where they live should make no difference to their qualifications.

Q. Why should voters vote for you on Aug. 1? Is there anything else you feel they should know about you?

A. I would like people to know that I’d like to be part of the future of Fenwick Island and try to keep it family-oriented, safe and a place where people still want to spend their time in one of the few remaining oases along the East Coast.

Coastal Point • Submitted : G.W. Carver Academy School Counselor Whitney Price, center, gathers with Southern Sussex Rotary Club Treasurer Anise Marvel, left, and Co-President Dominique DuShuttle at last year’s school supply fundraiser.

The Southern Sussex Rotary Club and Hocker’s Super Center are once again teaming up to host a school supply fundraiser for the G.W. Carver Academy.

The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hocker’s Super Center on Route 26 in Clarksville (near the intersection of Route 17). Volunteers will be passing out lists of school supplies, such composition books, loose leaf paper, pencils, highlighters, tissues and hand sanitizer, that shoppers can purchase and then donate upon leaving the store. There will also be a cash donation jar, with the proceeds being used to purchase book bags.

Last year, this event garnered nearly $1,000 worth of supplies for GWC students.

“The G.W. Carver Academy would like to thank Gerald Hocker and the Southern Sussex Rotary Club for their generosity in collecting these much-needed supplies for our students,” representatives noted.