An Ocean View dermatologist is reportedly practicing medicine in blatant disregard of his being on probation, and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office is calling for his license to be revoked.

On Aug. 14, the AG’s Office submitted an official Complaint and Motion for Temporary Suspension of Dr. Lindsay Brathwaite, M.D., who practices at the Center for Dermatology offices in Dover and at 118 Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View.

In October of 2014, Brathwaite was punished with five years’ probation that prohibits him from performing biopsies and surgical procedures, plus a $10,000 fine for “willful and wanton negligence” of patient safety. The Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (BMLD) found that he only seemed to diagnose patients by using biopsies (instead of less-invasive procedures) and that his unsterilized equipment could lead to dangerous cross-contamination of blood products.

His “unsterile, incompetent and negligent practice” led to his initial penalty, this week’s report stated.

“[Brathwaite] is now repeatedly and defiantly refusing to follow that order and putting the public at risk of harm. Despite the probationary order … [Brathwaite] has continued his dermatology practice, to include performing biopsies and surgical procedures,” the complaint said.

“[He] is performing biopsies on a daily basis, and punch biopsies and excisions on a weekly basis,” the report continued. “A review of only seven patient files from October 2014 to July 2015 reveals that [Brathwaite] performed numerous non-compliant procedures, including at least 25 biopsies, eight excisions, a punch biopsy and an electrodesiccation and curettage.”

State demands license revocation … again

Due to this “dishonorable, unethical or other conduct,” the AG’s Office has requested that the state Board of Medical Licensure & Discipline temporarily suspend Brathwaite’s license “due to the clear and immediate danger he poses to the public health,” host a hearing and then find him guilty.

The AG’s Office has also suggested a permanent revocation of Brathwaite’s medical license.

Brathwaite could have lost his license altogether in 2014, but the medical board at that time rejected the hearing panel’s recommendation to do so.

“The recommendations appear to be more severe than the violations,” read the board minutes from April 2014. The board suggested it would be more reasonable to restrict Brathwaite’s surgical management, rather than his entire medical practice.

Typically, Delaware’s Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) ensures compliance with a suspension by performing random checks on the physician and by notifying pharmacies so that the physician cannot authorize prescriptions.

The first suspension

The BMLD was responding to 13 cases when it first placed Brathwaite on probation in 2014. People had filed complaints with the DPR, which passed information to the Attorney General’s Office.

The AG’s Office wrote an official complaint (as it did again this month), and after much testimony, a BMLD hearing panel recommended a permanent revocation of Brathwaite’s medical license in January of 2014, stating, “The Panel cannot find substantial evidence to support a finding that Dr. Brathwaite is capable of rehabilitating his practices to ensure the public’s safety. … Permanent revocation is the only discipline that will properly protect the public.”

Hearing to be scheduled

“I can’t comment right now on what led to the most recent suspension. I think those details will be available once the case is, obviously, heard,” said Charles “C.R.” McLeod, the Delaware Department of State’s chief community relations officer.

But, accepting that there was enough evidence to at least move forward, the BMLD signed off on the complaint, submitting it to the Secretary of State for approval.

“This is the first notification that there’s enough evidence to move forward,” McLeod said.

Brathwaite received the petition on Monday and had 24 hours to respond, if desired.

Either way, the Secretary of State could then choose to sign the order for temporary suspension, effective immediately. As of Wednesday morning, the suspension had not been signed.

Within 60 days of its signing, Brathwaite could have a hearing — the equivalent of his official trial — unless he requests a delay or an expedited hearing.

“That’s when the decision is made — that the findings aren’t valid and the temporary suspension goes away, or does there need to be a more permanent consequence,” McLeod said.

McLeod noted that the hearing would likely be scheduled before one of DPR’s administrative hearing officers, instead of the board’s entire hearing panel. The board can then accept or modify the officer’s findings, conclusions and recommendations.

“It’s a thorough and very comprehensive process,” McLeod said. “We want to protect public health, but at the same time make sure a physician or medical professional is allowed to state their case, as well.”

Protecting the public in the short term

If approved by the Secretary, the temporary suspension would just be for the doctor, not his medical center (as in June 2011, when a surprise inspection resulted in the immediate, temporary closure of both locations, due to unsterile conditions and negligence in storing controlled substances. That eventually led to the current probation.).

“The whole idea behind the temporary suspension is to protect the public until all the facts are laid out,” McLeod said. “The temporary suspension doesn’t presume guilt, but because a question has been raised and an issue needs to be investigated — it’s not in the public interest” for that physician to continue to practice, he said.

Brathwaite’s license was originally issued in 2002 and expires in March of 2017. He was unavailable for comment before the Coastal Point’s Aug. 19 press deadline. Phone calls to his Ocean View office were handled by an answering service.

People may file complaints with the Division of Professional Regulation against a person or business that holds a professional license if they believe that that entity has violated the law or rules of the profession. Learn more by contacting (302) 744-4500 or www.dpr.delaware.gov. Specific licensing information is found online for Delaware professionals at http://dpr.delaware.gov/agency/roster_request_insts.shtml.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark : The southern side of this home in Ocean View shows extensive fire damage from the Sunday morning fire, where one person was found dead.

Delaware State Fire Marshal’s office this week was investigating an early morning house fire in Ocean View in which one person was killed. Firefighters found a person deceased inside the burning house in the 100 block of Woodland Avenue on Sunday morning, Aug. 16, just after 2 a.m.

The Millville Volunteer Fire Company responded to reports of a house on fire at the southern corner of Woodland Avenue and West Avenue, also adjacent to Balsa Street. Firefighters found flames engulfing the two-story dwelling, reported the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

State fire investigators were still investigating the fire’s origin and cause mid-week. Although the house’s three street-facing sides appeared to be intact, the southwest side was engulfed in flames, leaving only charred timbers.

“Since there’s a fire death, it’s under investigation by the fire marshal’s office,” said Bob Powell of the Millville VFC.

Delaware’s Division of Forensic Science was to conduct an autopsy to positively identify the victim and nature of their death. The division did not respond to questions regarding the timeframe before Coastal Point’s press deadline this week. (In some cases, the division will publically provide the manner of death — homicide, accident, etc.).

The blaze was declared under control at 3:35 a.m. on Sunday. Heavy fire damage was estimated at $25,000. There were no smoke alarms in the house, officials said. Fire companies from Millville, Bethany Beach, Roxana and Frankford were dispatched, as well as three deputy fire marshals and Sussex County Medic 105.

To fill the gaps at the responding departments, additional fire companies were activated: Rehoboth Beach, Dagsboro, Selbyville, Lewes, Millsboro and Gumboro, and Ocean City, Bishopville and Ocean Pines, Md.

“The companies that are closest to the alarm, manpower and equipment pretty much get stripped,” Powell said. “So there’s still emergency coverage for where the event is happening. That’s a standard thing that goes on. So … communities are always protected.”

Editor’s Note: The Coastal Point is not publishing the name of the victim, as officials have not publicly released it as of our deadline. That can be attributed to next-of-kin not being notified yet, or because the fire is still part of an active investigation.

Elliot Rhoads is 17, a summer resident of the Bethany Beach area and a singer/songwriter. And, now, he’s looking to rocket up the iTunes charts with his second song, a cover of “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

Rhoads also released a music video of the song on YouTube on Aug. 7, with nearly a thousand views in less than a week.

It features Rhoads, some of his friends and beach balls from Rhodes 5&10 in Bethany Beach.

Last summer, Rhoads performed at the Freeman Stage at Bayside, as well as the Bethany Beach Bandstand and venues in Dewey and Rehoboth, and he will be performing this Friday, Aug. 14, at the bandstand, in the Town’s annual talent showcase.

In addition to performing, Rhoads volunteers at the Freeman Stage and Freeman Foundation and works at Sedona restaurant in Bethany to help fund his music.

The song can be found on iTunes at https://itun.es/us/Zosf9. The video is on YouTube at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OE_FOERTyZM.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will host the first-ever “Boo-B-Que By the Sea,” a two-day statewide barbecue cook-off competition beginning Friday, Oct. 30, at Delaware Seashore State Park. The event will also feature the first live auction for low-digit surf-fishing tags, on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The “Boo-B-Que,” a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)-sanctioned event, will be held in the south inlet day-use and campground areas. It will feature live music, food and craft brew vendors, trick-or-treating for kids and an opportunity for visitors to select the “people’s choice award” winners for best pulled pork and chicken wings. Barbecuers from up and down the East Coast will be competing against each other.

“Delaware Seashore State Park is the perfect host site for ‘Boo-B-Que by the Sea,’” said Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens. “As the third KCBS event to be held in Delaware, the park has the distinction of hosting the state championship for barbecue, and will help one competitor earn an invitation to the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbeque in October of 2016. Another distinctive aspect is that park visitors and competitors can enjoy barbecue while taking in the beauty of the Indian River Inlet — complete with the aroma of barbecue in the salt air.”

Daily entrance fees will be in effect for the event. Visitors interested in making a weekend out of the festivities can join the fun and get a 15 percent discount on campsites at Delaware Seashore State Park. Reservations can be made online at http://delawarestateparks.reserveamerica.com/ or by calling 1-877-987-2757 and using promotional code SEABBQ1515. Proceeds from the event will benefit Delaware State Parks’ Children in Nature program and other outdoor programming.

To enter the competition, both pro and backyard grillers should contact event organizer Sandy Fulton directly at sandyfulton720@gmail.com.

Sussex Outdoors is one of a number of partners sponsoring the “Boo-B-Que By the Sea.” “Delaware State Parks provides some of the finest outdoor opportunities in the country,” said John Hollis, Sussex Outdoors director. “Delaware Seashore State Park is a perfect setting for getting people outdoors. We’re also excited to work with so many great community partners to create a fun family-centered event at this beautiful site.”

In addition to Sussex Outdoors, event partners include Southern Delaware Tourism, ASAP Printing, Boys & Girls Clubs and numerous other community partners investing in Delaware’s quality of life initiatives.

The Kansas City Barbeque Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbecue, is the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts, with more than 19,000 members worldwide. Every year, KCBS sanctions more than 450 barbecue contests worldwide, with the mission of recognizing barbecue as “America’s Cuisine,” and “to celebrate, teach, preserve and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport and art form.”

On Saturday, Oct. 31, the first live auction for low-digit surf-fishing tags will be held at 2:30 p.m. on the park’s main stage.

“Delawareans have an affinity for low-digit license plates,” said Bivens. “We are really excited to offer another great low-digit opportunity with the sale of low-numbered surf fishing plates at ‘Boo-B-Que By the Sea.’”

The live auction will include a select number of low-digit surf plates. The black-and-white tags will have a unique, vintage look with raised letters. Bidding will open at $250. The winning bidder for each tag will receive a certificate of authenticity. Once purchased, owners will retain the tag as long as they have a valid surf-fishing permit. All revenue raised from the program will directly benefit Delaware State Parks and surf-fishing beach access.

Volunteers are being encouraged to preregister on the DNREC website for the 29th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19. The DNREC-sponsored cleanup spans the First State’s 97-mile eastern coastline and includes river and ocean shorelines, as well as wetland and watershed areas. This year, 50 sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties are being targeted, and many of those sites are filling up fast with volunteers, so organizers said it’s a good idea to register early.

Pre-registering helps ensure enough supplies are packed for the volunteers at each site. To see a map of this year’s sites, or to pre-register, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/CoastalCleanup. Pre-registration will close on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the close of business.

At last year’s Coastal Cleanup, 1,805 volunteers from civic organizations, youth groups, businesses and families collected 3.5 tons of trash from 46 sites along Delaware’s shorelines and tributaries. About one-third of that trash — mostly aluminum cans and plastic bottles — was recycled.

Volunteers’ more unusual finds included chopsticks, a laundry basket, runner’s race number tag, electric saber saw, windshield wiper, basketball, baseball, bowling ball, tennis balls, paint brush, tweezers, tiki torches, Barbie doll, glow stick, auto fender, plastic trellis, shingle, flashlight, toilet seat, Christmas lights, telephone box, TV, coat, engine, pinup girl postcard, an unopened 12-pack of razors, hubcap and a message in a bottle.

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines and lakes by volunteers. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse they find.

The information is recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles data for all of the cleanups held in the country and around the world. The information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it. The Ocean Conservancy supplies trash bags, data cards and marine debris brochures.

Delaware’s cleanup is co-sponsored by Delmarva Power, which provides T-shirts for the participants. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating data. Edgewell Personal Care, Playtex Manufacturing Inc., which provides gloves, and trash and recyclables hauler Waste Management also return as sponsors. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), which provides safety vests for roadside site volunteers, also joins the sponsor list for the 2015 cleanup.

For more information about the Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup, visit www.oceanconservancy.org. For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, call Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at (302) 739-9902.

Delmarva Bike Week will celebrate its 15th anniversary Sept. 17-20 in three locations: Winterplace Park and the Shorebirds’ stadium in Salisbury, Md., and Rommel Harley-Davidson in Seaford.

Shorebird’s stadium will become the demo destination, with motorcycle brands including Yamaha, Star, Victory and Indian motorcycles, complete with factory displays and the chance to take one of the bikes for a ride, as well as vendors, paved parking, food, beer and more.

WinterPlace Park will feature bands including Live Wire, an AC/DC tribute band. An enhanced stage and sound experience are being offered at the free venue. Motorcycle vendors including Vance & Hines and Eastern Performance will also be on-site.

Rommel Harley-Davidson Delmarva in Seaford is the Official Welcome Center for Delmarva Bike Week and OC BikeFest. Attendees can get a one-of-a-kind event pin at that location only, as well as check out the beer garden and vendors and even take a brand new Harley for a ride.

OC BikeFest will return to the Inlet and Convention Center in Ocean City, Md., as well. Now in its fifth year, OC BikeFest will feature Inlet headliners Great White and Kix on Thursday, Sept. 17, REO Speedwagon on Friday, Sept. 18, and the Doobie Brothers on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Returning to the Inlet is the OC BikeFest custom bike builder show. Bikes will be on display at the Inlet, with the chance to win $4,000 in cash and prizes and an automatic invitation to the Championship of the Americas at the AIMexpo.

Advance tickets are on sale now at OCBikefest.com and DelmarvaBikeWeek.com at the following prices: Adult Event Passes (16 or older), $40; Adult One Day Pass (16 or older), $30; Child Event Pass (6 to 15), $15, with children 5 or younger admitted free of charge.

For more information on the benefits of purchasing an Event Pass, visit the websites. Details and advance tickets are also available now at participating Rommel Harley-Davidson locations and Rommel’s Ace Hardware Stores.

For the first time ever, select participants who purchased advance tickets online were invited to ride in the “Thunder on the Boardwalk” parade on Thursday, Sept. 17, when 400 bikes will ride down the boardwalk in Ocean City at 10:30 a.m., kicking off the fifth-anniversary opening of OC BikeFest at 11 a.m.

OC BikeFest and Delmarva Bike Week owner and producer Kathy Micheal said she’s excited about the caliber of entertainment coming to the event this year.

“I’m honored to be a part of the long-term success of both of these incredible rallies and look forward to growing and evolving these events, keeping them fresh and exciting for attendees. We are also thrilled to have Rommel Harley-Davidson as the presenting sponsor for both OC Bikefest and Delmarva Bike Week. Not only will they have activities at their Delmarva location in Seaford, Del., but will once again have a huge presence with 140-plus new 2016 motorcycles for sale at the Ocean City Convention Center.”

Hours vary by location and can be found at www.ocbikefest.com and www.delmarvabikeweek.com.

A celebration is planned for the 10th Annual Best of Milton Auction & Party on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Milton Fire Hall, 116 Front Street in Milton. The party will aim for an atmosphere of cool elegance, in pale blue and shimmering silver as they celebrate this anniversary in style.

The evening will feature silent and live auctions, hors d’oeuvres prepared by Almost Home Cooking and dessert including King’s Homemade Ice Cream. A cash bar will offer a selection of wine, Dogfish Head beer and soft drinks. Live music by Vince Verrassi and Ken Cicarale and dancing will be a highlight.

Area businesses, artists and individuals have donated a variety of items and experiences. There will be original art, crafts, antiques, books, excursions, gift certificates for restaurants and salon services, items and services for the home and garden, collectibles and gift baskets.

To reserve a ticket in advance, contact the Milton Historical Society at info@historicmilton.org or call (302) 684-1010. Tickets cost $20 and may be purchased at the door.

Coastal Point • Submitted: Dale Sheldon’s ‘Autumn near Greve’ is an acrylic painting to be featured in Gallery One’s ‘Welcome to my World’ and will be held from Sept. 3-30.Gallery One in Ocean View this week announced its September show theme, “Welcome to my World,” which will be open to the public Sept. 3-30. “Welcome to my world” is designed to be an invitation to glimpse and participate in realm of the Gallery One artists’ world. Each artist has a unique view, and each painting a different thought.

Dale Sheldon’s “Autumn Near Greve” glows with the “glorious colors seen in autumn in Tuscany, which are a feast for the eyes. The rich golds of the fields play against the cool hillsides in the distance, and the dramatic dark greens found in the trees complement the iconic red roofs.”

“View from my Garden” is the path Laura Hickman takes every day in her “summer world.” Watering the flowers and pool cleaning are never a chore. Sunlit grass and colorful flowers are so preferable to her “winter” world, she said.

Joyce Condry’s mixed-media painting “Waste Not Want Not” describes the evolutionary aspects of a painting. “I just can’t throw anything away! If a painting isn’t working, I might be able to make it work someday.”

Busy, busy, busy is the world of Jeanne Mueller. “Sunset at White’s Creek,” an oil on canvas, describes her happiest moments of “sitting on the patio and watching Mother Nature paint her colors.”

“Low Tide” is a subject that Dianne Shearon returns to frequently. “I live so close to the ocean and our beautiful beaches and marshes. It has become what I love to paint… what a wonderful world.”

“The simplicity of our coast is so meditative as I walk the shoreline” explained Lesley McCaskill. Her watercolor painting “Jetty” depicts the undulating water as it gathers in soft curves and contrasts with the verticals of the man-made jetties and columns of condos in the distance.

“Welcome to my World” will run from Sept. 3 to 30. The gallery’s Artisan Room features textiles, hand-blown glass, pottery, glass jewelry and wood pieces by local artists. The gallery is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is always staffed by one of the artists.

Visit Gallery One’s website at www.GalleryOneDe.com for more information or call (302) 537-5055. The gallery is located at 32 Atlantic Ave. (Route 26) Ocean View.

Coastal Point • File Photo: Above, the radio-controlled cars were a big hit at last year’s event.For the third year in a row, the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce will host an annual festival — newly dubbed the “Boro Bash” this year.

“The committee felt, with all the bigger-name country music festivals that came into the area since the inception of our event, we were going to be kind of drowned out by that,” explained Executive Director Amy Simmons regarding the former moniker of Millsboro Country Festival. “We always knew we wanted a new name for it. And we thought, we have so many ’boros, with Dagsboro, Gumboro, Millsboro —we felt that fit the theme for a community family party.

“The entire premise for this whole festival was that it was something family-friendly, that it could be a multigenerational day spent with the whole family. Everything we do, we ask, is it family-friendly? Is it fun for everyone? And then we go from there.”

The Bash will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Millsboro Little League Complex. Tickets for the day cost $5, with those 3 or younger admitted for free.

“We had well over 2,000 people there last year,” said Simmons, noting they hope the event draws more attendees this fall. “We want people to come and enjoy the entire day. We don’t want them to leave for any reason.”

As part of the event, a Delorean car will be on display for “Back to the Future” fans to enjoy and check out up close.

“We knew it was the 30th year for the first ‘Back to the Future’ movie. We’ve always thought since the first year with Cooter [of ‘Dukes of Hazzard’] and the car, it was one more element to the entire day that people could enjoy. With so many people in this area of that era of the ’80s that live here, we thought this would be the very neat.”

Simmons said the Chamber found the car in nearby New Jersey.

“Luckily enough, the people who own it have characters Doc Brown, Marty McFly, plus props from the original movie. That was kind of our sign that we needed the car to be here,” she said. “In the second movie, the year they go to is October 2015, so it perfectly fits in with the whole festival. We thought it would be one more added element that the whole family can enjoy. You can sit in it, take pictures with it, people can reminisce.”

Music will play throughout the event, including performances by the Trinidad North Steel Drum Band, Southern Delaware School of the Arts rock band and Over Time.

“We wanted to venture out a little bit from the country and not have everything country-themed,” Simmons said. “Southern Delaware School of the Arts, they have a rock band that I’ve heard play several times. For a middle school-aged group, they are terrific.

“We decided we wanted to keep as many of the bands as local as possible. We’ve got great bands this year. We’ve got the Dirt Road Outlawz. We’ve got Bo Dickerson Band coming back. They’ve both been here before.”

An added fun family element is the Hillbilly Silly Science Spectacular, which will perform twice on stage and throughout the day on the Little League grounds.

“The reviews we’ve read on them... everyone at fairs, at schools, have loved them,” she said. “They do silly comedic science experiments with non-toxic household chemicals. They’ll be doing two shows on the stage, and they’re also going to be doing some traveling shows around the ball field at other times during the day.”

Plenty of games and activities will be available to children of all ages, from bounce houses to pony rides, and a special appearance by Mickey and Minnie.

“We also have a mini-golf course coming. It’s a nine-hole mini-golf course that one of our members is building for us.”

A crowd favorite, the Redneck Challenge, will be returning to the event. Those who participate will have the opportunity to win prizes for the fastest times in men’s and women’s divisions for those 18 or older, and in the youth division, for those 10 to 17.

“We’ve beefed up the course with some new obstacles to kind of tweak your inner redneck. They’ll be climbing some tires and doing some hopscotch with some… interesting equipment,” said Simmons.

“The Redneck Challenge has been the steadfast through the last two years. It’s busy most of the day, with people running it for the first time or running it to get a better time than their previous time. It’s been tried and true, and we decided this year we really wanted to beef it up.”

Simmons said the Chamber is thankful for the event’s sponsors, which include Cadia Renaissance Rehabilitation, Suburban Propane, the Town of Millsboro, Sussex County Post, Coastal Point newspaper, Chuck Hall State Farm, Pepsi Bottling Venture, M&T Bank, Lingo Marine, PNC Bank, Cosmic Custom Printing, Peninsula Dental & Sedation Center, the Insurance Market, Hose Pros LLC, Sussex Eye, Dagsboro Paint & Wall Paper, Kim Jones State Farm Insurance, the Bank of Delmarva and Millsboro Auto Mart.

Community members and visitors to the area are all being invited to attend for some local fun that will last all day.

“There’s a lot of hard work getting this festival planned. We want the community to come out, invite your friends to come out. Just sit back, bring your lawn chairs, blankets, set them down, listen to the music or walk around, enjoy the activities we have and just enjoy the day,” said Simmons. “We’ve got some spectacular food vendors lined up. Craft vendors will be there, too. It’s just a day for family fun in the little charming town of Millsboro.”

For more information about the Boro Bash, visit www.MillsboroChamber.com or call (302) 934-6777.

The 2015-2016 season of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is designed to celebrate Maestro Julien Benichou’s 10 years as music director. The MSO’s 19th season will showcase a variety of music and soloists.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m., Mariner’s Bethel Church in Ocean View will resound with music from Spain and Argentina. The repertoire includes Ravel’s “Pavane pour une infante defunte,” an imagined dance for a 16th century Spanish princess, Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture” and the Argentinian composer Ginastera’s impressionistic piece “Variaciones Concertantes.” The Beijing Guitar Duo, composed of two young guitar virtuosos from Qingdao, China, Meng Su and Yameng Wang, will solo in Rodrigo’s “Concierto Madrigal” for two guitars and orchestra.

The “Holiday Joy” concert will be performed in two Delaware venues this season. On Friday, Dec. 11, the concert will be held at Mariner’s Bethel Church and on Saturday, Dec. 12, the concert will be help at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. Guest soloists saxophonist Gary Louie and soprano Sharin Apostolou will accompany the orchestra’s performance of traditional season favorites.

The spring concert on Saturday, March 19, 2016, will feature flautist Jean Ferrandis playing Mozart’s “Flute Concerto in G Major.” The orchestra will also perform Faure’s “Fantasy,” Poulenc’s “Deux Marches et un Intermede,” and Mozart’s “Symphony No. 39.”

Violinist Arnaud Sussmann will solo in the season-finale concert, to be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016. The repertoire includes Borodin’s “In the Steppes of Central Asia,” Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto in D Minor” and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, “Reformation.”

Season subscriptions with guaranteed reserved seating are on sale now at $140 for all four concerts. Single tickets are also on sale at $38 ($45 for the holiday concert) for adults. The MSO offers complimentary tickets to those 18 or younger with reservations. The four concerts will also be performed on Thursday evenings in Easton, Md., and on Sunday afternoons in Ocean Pines, Md. For additional information, to place a ticket order, or to obtain the season brochure, call 1-888-846-8600 or visit www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: James ‘Jim’ Hudson is the new Indian River School District Board of Education president.After 10 years with the same leadership, the Indian River School Board recently elected a new member to serve as president, as Georgetown’s James “Jim” Hudson leads the board into a new school year.

Hudson inherited the board presidency from Charles Bireley, who stepped down from that role after holding it for 15 years, including the last 10, consecutively. (Bireley, a 38-year board member, continues to represent his district on the board, having also won re-election this year.)

This June, Hudson said, he was asked to consider leading the board. The board elects its leadership positions from its own members, and Hudson was unanimously elected. Rodney Layfield remains vice president.

“I think the major goal is to address in our population growth. I think that’s going to be a major thing,” Hudson said. “We’re really growing — especially in the Georgetown, Millsboro areas. We’ve really got to tackle that; hopefully, come up with some solutions.”

He’s been part of the Georgetown educational community for decades. After teaching and coaching, he became assistant principal, then principal at North Georgetown Elementary School for 15 years, retiring in 2009.

“I had been in Indian River my whole life, and I thank my lucky stars that I worked for Indian River, because I now work for the University of Delaware … and I can now see a lot of good things” the district has done, he said.

Hudson was elected to the board in 2012, but was appointed two months early, to fill a vacancy. He earned his seat again in the 2015 election. He represents District 1 (northern Georgetown).

“The school district’s been good to me, and I thought this was a good way to give back. It keeps me involved,” Hudson said of his joining the board.

Downtown Frankford was briefly stuck behind an emergency perimeter on Tuesday, Aug. 25, due to a potential propane leak on the railroad track that runs through the town.

Just before 11 a.m., the Frankford Fire Company responded to the railroad tracks north of Frankford Avenue.

Police Chief Michael Warchol said he was notified by the town’s maintenance department about the smell of propane wafting through town. The Maryland & Delaware Railroad Company responded, sending a propane specialist to the scene.

“The railroad stores tankers on the tracks over here off of Frankford Avenue,” Warchol explained.

It turned out that the tops of the empty propane tankers had not been sealed correctly.

“As it got hot, it started blowing propane fumes out of the tank,” Warchol said.

There was no actual leak, except for the fumes that escaped the top of the tank.

The scene was cleared by 11:30 a.m.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Sussex Central High School had a banner moment with its second DIAA Sportsmanship Award.When a referee makes a questionable call, or the other team makes a snide remark, what does the athlete do? Just walk away? Or throw down their hockey stick and pounce?

When it comes to good sportsmanship, Sussex Central High School tries to walk the walk. That’s a step in the right direction, according to the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA), which just awarded SCHS with its second consecutive DIAA Sportsmanship Award.

The school received its new banner from DIAA Executive Director Kevin Charles at the Aug. 24 Indian River School District school board meeting.

From a four-page application, SCHS’s submission was a portfolio 3 inches thick.

“It’s a competition against … a rigorous set of standards,” Charles said, which asks about school policy, heated rivalry games, investigations, athletic handbooks, monthly sportsmanship meetings and more.

“This program … is intended to establish a school culture where sportsmanship is the culture … so when the chips are down …we automatically respond in the Sussex Central way,” Charles said.

That’s not to say students are perfect. But when a student, parent or fan has a lapse in judgment, SCHS has policies in place to “respond to it, learn from it and move on,” Principal Bradley Layfield said. “We’ve got policies in place to say, ‘No, this is really about interscholastic athletics and what that stands for. It’s not all about bashing referees…’”

For example, the administration will sit students down to discuss poor behavior on the field or court.

“Football season’s around the corner. Anytime one of our athletes get a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, we know immediately Coach [John] Wells is gonna pull them from the field until they get a chance to calm down. Some of them might get yanked from the whole game,” Layfield said.

“And then, the following Monday, that athlete’s gonna be in the athletic director’s office and/or the principal’s office to reflect on [the game]. If you lose yourself in the heat of a game and you’re pulled, that could be the difference between your team winning and losing. … Your reaction might then put us in that situation.”

The same goes for soccer red cards and other infractions.

SCHS also rewards good behavior on and off the courts and fields with Athletes of the Month, team sportsmanship awards and more.

“What sets interscholastic athletics apart from other youth activities is we are education-based,” Charles said. “We like to win, there’s no question about it … but our main goal is to get students to participate to teach them life skills.”

DIAA views the fields as a classroom, and coaches as teachers in this metaphor, helping students to build skills to make them better citizens in the long run.

There are no documented reports of a drug overdose occurring in Indian River School District. And with a free donation of emergency response medicine, the district’s high schools aim to keep it that way.

The Delaware Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS) received a massive donation of 2,000 naloxone units from drug manufacturer Kaléo, based in Richmond, Va.

Delaware high schools will have Evzio, a naloxone auto-injector that releases the potent drug meant to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Besides police departments and addiction treatment centers, the Department of Education got a shipment to distribute to Delaware public schools, including Sussex Central and Indian River high schools and the G.W. Carver Academy.

“There’s potential issues in this area, and it’s a good idea to have the drug where teenagers are,” said Jay Owens, IRSD director of compliance.

“[We] hope to never have to use it,” said Anna Miller, IRSD lead nurse.

They explained the program to the Indian River School District Board of Education on Aug. 24.

Nurses statewide received paperwork on how to spot an overdose, and how to respond. Nurses may look for little or no breathing; unresponsiveness; information from bystanders; their own prior knowledge of the victim; or presence of nearby of medications, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia; as the basis for deciding to administer the drug.

Board Member Donald Hattier asked if there was a blood or urine test during suspected overdoses.

“No,” Miller said.

There’s no time for testing if the person is already unconscious, she said. They’re instructed to call 911, then try to restore breathing and administer the Evzio needle.

The gift of Evzio is a short-term donation, however, since the Evzio units have an expiration date of February 2016, according to DHSS.

Hattier emphasized that the district has never experienced a student overdose.

“We’ve never seen one that was unconscious that was documented,” Miller clarified.

“I am unaware of any deaths occurring in a school due to overdose — anywhere in the nation,” stated Linda C. Wolfe, the Delaware DOE’s director of School Support Services. “However, given the rate of overdose and death in Delaware, we are supporting Public Health’s proactive outreach to community partners who work with vulnerable populations.”

According to DHSS, a total of 185 people died in 2014 from suspected overdoses in Delaware, or about one person every other day. Many overdoses were the result of heroin or prescription painkillers. From January through July of this year alone, there have been 78 suspected overdose deaths, DHSS stated. Naloxone could have reversed many of these overdoses.

DHSS and AtTAcK Addiction, a grassroots advocacy group in Delaware, helped to facilitate the donation in the wake of a growing number of overdose deaths.

In other Board of Education news:

• Heather M. Statler took her oath of office, now representing District 3 on the board. She was appointed to complete a temporary term ending June 30, 2016.

• After opting not to renew its $13,325 annual membership to the Delaware School Boards Association (DSBA), the school board invited a DSBA representative to discuss the situation during an executive session.

“He came down to listen to our concerns, and we talked for a while and told him we would keep an eye on things,” IRSD Board President James Hudson said afterward.

In June, Hudson had said, “[W]e believe DSBA no longer has the capacity to represent our interests statewide and in the Delaware legislature.”

But “the door’s open. … Hopefully, in the near future we’ll be back in there. We’ll see how that goes,” Hudson said Monday night.

• Butch Martin and Cheryl Martin of the First State Pickleball Club thanked the board for allowing them to renovate tennis courts at John M. Clayton Elementary School into a “pickleball utopia,” as some out-of-state players have called the complex. The courts are used daily.

“It’s … a place for people who want more than the bike trails and walking to be physically active,” said Cheryl Martin, adding that he was grateful for the strong school-community relationship.

• Paris Mitchell, health teacher at IR High School, spoke about the risks of vaccination and genetically modified organisms. He pointed out that asthma, cancer and allergies have skyrocketed in the last two decades.

• Community member Maria Johnson distributed a “Free to Speak” booklet to school board members, detailing students’ civil liberties to speak and express religion in the school.

• The next regular school board meeting is Monday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. at Indian River High School.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark: The recycling drop-off at Fresh Pond State Park could be taken away because of people abusing it. To Ocean Village residents, that would be a good thing.The Bethany Beach area is already at risk of losing the free recycling drop-off at Fresh Pond State Park, due to the tremendous amounts of non-recyclable garbage that is being dumped there.

“We might have to close the facility if we cannot curtail the illegal dumping that has been going on there,” said Mike Parkowski of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA).

But that would suit nearby residents just fine.

Ocean Village is a private neighborhood located across Coastal Highway from Fresh Pond. For them, the “terrible eyesore” of televisions, furniture, construction debris and once, a toilet, is just the beginning.

Ocean Village opposed the recycling center being there even before people started treating the recycling cans as garbage dumpsters, before the lingering food attracted wildlife, which residents said crosses the highway into their neighborhood.

Opened in September of 2009, the Fresh Pond recycling drop-off is located north of Bethany Beach, off Route 1, just north of Fred Hudson Road.

In late June, a new sign warned that the site will close if dumping of non-recyclable items continues. People are being asked to call a hotline to report the license plate number of anyone seen dumping anything other than recyclables there.

Although it’s not the only recycling site with issues, Parkowski said DSWA staff often spends hours, instead of minutes, picking up loose trash on a daily basis. Allied Republic is contracted to collect recycling daily on weekdays.

Overflow occurs, too, during busy weekends, which is different than flat-out dumping.

But whatever is collected there, residents of the beachfront Ocean Village across the highway said they are tired of hearing the 44,000 pounds of recycling collected there monthly.

“The Fresh Ponds site is the only site located immediately adjacent to a single-family residential community such as ours,” the Ocean Village Community Association board of directors asserted. “The need for and the number of recycling sites has dramatically decreased with the advent of universal recycling.”

“The peace and quiet of nearby communities, including the Ocean Village Community, is interrupted daily when seven containers weighing 1-2 tons each are emptied into a recycling transport vehicle which results in horrendous noise,” of the shaking and banging while the dumpsters are emptied daily, they said.

Noise, noise, noise

Ocean Village residents objected to the noise disturbance in an official statement, signed this spring: “The undersigned individuals being reasonable persons of normal sensitivities state that they are extremely annoyed and disturbed with the noise emanating from the daily emptying of the Fresh Pond site and the noise associated with the day and night dumping by members of the public.”

Although it was signed by 100 residents, the board said the document has not been submitted to any state agency.

First written in the 1970s, the Delaware Noise Control Act says, “The people of this State are entitled to and should be ensured an environment free from noise which unnecessarily degrades the quality of their life.”

It defines “noise disturbance” as any sound that “endangers or injures the safety or health of humans or animals; annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities; or jeopardizes the value of property and erodes the integrity of the environment.”

But “DNREC’s Division of Air Quality … was defunded back in the 1980s. The regulation is kept on the books because some towns and municipalities may still rely on it,” wrote Michael Globetti of Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC).

Where to put

a recycling center

Statewide, recycling centers are found in four state parks, plus schools, town parks and properties and shopping centers.

Although other public recycling drop-offs are located in the vicinity of neighborhoods, Ocean Village (incorporated in 1966) asserts that its situation is unique:

“We were not aware that this site is located as close to a residential community such as ours. The vast majority of sites are located at public facilities, schools, businesses and shopping centers. Sites such as Fresh Ponds [sic] are inappropriate for a beach or any other residential community.”

Fresh Pond is part of a public state park.

The Bethany location filled a recycling gap left when, in 2008, Millville’s Masonic lodge (Doric Lodge No. 30) requested that the longtime public drop-off be removed from its property, for reasons ranging from traffic congestion to material blown into neighbors’ yards.

Then-state Rep. Gerald Hocker Sr. personally helped the kickstart the Bethany site.

“We couldn’t get anybody to donate land. So, I thought… the State has an awful lot of property. Why not use one of their sites?” Hocker told Coastal Point in late 2009.

Hocker had said they could hardly expect a private owner to donate land if the State wouldn’t step up to the plate.

“It was perfect,” he said in 2009. “There was no entrance to build. The base was there for the containers and for parking. After it was approved, it was up in a week’s time.”

“DSWA installed a recycling drop-off center … without any consultation with the community. When our Association objected, we were told the site was only temporary until the full implementation of the new Delaware Universal Recycling law, which would provide recycling directly to Delaware residences by their garbage pickup providers,” the board stated. “It should be noted that Ocean Village supports recycling and participates fully in universal recycling,” collected weekly on Saturdays.

But now-state Sen. Hocker responds that he told residents “that when we found a site that we could move it to … I would do all I could to move it. And I have been doing that ever since.

“We’ve done all we can to work with those people,” Hocker said of Ocean Village. “[DSWA is] not supposed to dump it before 9 a.m. … They’ve sent more people to clean up that site.”

Recycling is only dumped between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. — the only site with time restraints due to noise complaints, Parkowski said.

Although people are abusing the center, “Recycling is very important. People want to see recycling, but we have to make it convenient for people to use it,” said Hocker, who is not unsympathetic to noise complaints. “I have a restaurant right in front of my house that dumps [garbage] at 6:30 in the morning. We know what it is.”

He said he feels that the dumping and overflow is only a real problem for about three months a year.

“For months and years, I rode down there quite often. Outside of a few busy holidays, it was very well maintained,” Hocker said of Fresh Pond.

Putting it on paper

“[T]he site is located on Park land purchased by the State and dedicated [solely] as a park. The deed to the property places restrictions on any use other than park land,” the board has asserted. “Clearly, the misuse of park land coupled with the placement of such a site in close proximity to a residential community is highly inappropriate.”

Recycling drop-offs are placed at the sole discretion of the site sponsor.

“It’s DNREC’s property, and they gave us the approval to use that site,” Parkowski said. “If they told us to remove it, we would remove it.”

The original Delaware Seashore State Park lease, signed Sept. 3, 2009, granted DSWA permission to install, maintain and operate a recycling center for a one-year term, renewable annually unless a Notice of Termination is given by either party.

“It’s renewable. They have to keep the site clean, hold us harmless. It’s a basic agreement,” said Patrick Cooper, regional park administrator. “It partners with what we’re trying to do with recycling.”

The lease was accompanied by a hand-drawn map, indicating the location of the center.

Safety time

The unpaved site is located directly in front of a Route 1 crossover with no traffic signal and no defined turn lane on a 55-mph highway, residents also complain.

“While it is fortunate that no accidents have occurred, we fear that it is only a matter of time until there is a serious accident resulting in injury or death,” wrote the Board of Directors.

At the board’s request, the Delaware Department of Transportation had conducted a brief weekday traffic study, “which concluded that there were no safety violations at that time,” stated the board, which still wants DelDOT to return and conduct a weekend study instead.

People who use

the center

People actually using the center vary from small businesses that don’t produce much recyclable material to vacationers and part-time residents.

Glenn Miller has used the recycling center for more than a year, as he works for an area construction company.

“We do a lot of different beach construction,” said Miller. “We have to remove a lot of material, cardboard and that kind of thing. So it gives us a convenient place to get rid of cardboard, and it gets recycled. Best of both worlds.”

In July, he broke down cardboard boxes for recycling.

“It’s convenient, because the landfill’s so far inland, and this is convenient right to Bethany Beach,” Miller said.

But he’s seen the mess that frustrates DSWA and locals alike.

“You see it piled up about half the height of the dumpster itself. It’s probably an inconvenience for whomever has to come pick it,” Miller said. “Just boxes, bags, things piled all in front of it.”

So what happens if the recycling center disappears?

“We’re either gonna have to go dump it to the nearest landfill,” Miller said, “or fill up some of our big dumpsters, and that won’t get recycled. It’ll just go in general trash.”

DSWA maintains 61 recycling drop-off centers throughout the state. To find a center or report violations, call the Citizens’ Response Line at 1-800-404-7080. Learn more at www.dswa.com/programs_centersearch.asp.

How often do you get to see a state senator jam with his family and friends? Well, this weekend, locals and visitors will be able to enjoy music by the Jamboree Boys, featuring state Sen. Gerald Hocker on bass guitar.

On Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Hocker, along with his two sons, Gerry and Greg, friends and fellow musicians Reggie Helms and Bill Ulmer, with Trent Hitchens and Jimmy Holson on lead guitar, will take the bandstand stage and perform a free concert.

“This is one of our two gigs every year,” said Gerry Hocker, noting that the other is the Springtime Jamboree, a fundraiser concert for area nonprofits that features local musical and comedic talent. “I think everybody in the group really enjoys playing together.”

“It’s a lot of fun. When I was young — I’ll say 5 years old — I got my first Fisher Price drum set,” said Greg Hocker, adding that he started out drumming on old cardboard boxes and his mom’s pot lids at the age of 3. “And dad and them would be downstairs in the basement, practicing for the Jamboree, and I’d be down there beating on my little teeny drum set.

“Finally, I believe I was 8 or 9 years old was the first time I got to play drums in the show. And ever since then, I’ve played with them every single year.”

Greg Hocker said the group’s regular lead guitarist, Andy Timmons, will be unable to play at the bandstand this year, but local artist Trent Hitchens will be filling in.

“Trent Hitchens is a local player who’s absolutely phenomenal. He basically jumped into our practices in the last two months. He knew some of the songs, but he did not know all of them. And he had to be familiar with our set list of about 30 songs.

“He has a gift of playing lead, where he can just listen to a lead and pretty much turn around and play it. To hear him play some of these songs he didn’t know a month or two ago… he’s phenomenal,” said Greg Hocker, adding of Timmons’ absence, “We knew he would be greatly missed. Hopefully, in another year, he’ll be able to play with us.”

The group was founded by the senior Hocker, with his father, while he was in high school.

Gerry Hocker, who plays steel guitar in the band, said he loves music with a passion, and it’s always a treat to play with his family.

“It’s fun. It’s just something totally different,” said Gerry Hocker, who manages the family’s grocery stores. “It’s exciting. A lot of people we know are there. Locals and even tourists who support our stores are there. Over the years, different customers ask, ‘What date are you guys playing there?’ It’s neat. I see a lot of people in the audience that I recognize.”

“It’s a lot of fun playing with your family. I wish that we could definitely play more,” added Greg Hocker. “But when you have family businesses, it takes a lot of time playing other places.”

Greg Hocker, who has three kids of his own, said his kids already want to play drums, and he plans to have them take lessons.

Gerry Hocker said the group has been practicing for the last couple months to prepare for the bandstand gig.

“Over the years, we’ve created such a library of songs we can do… The problem is what songs to pull out for an hour and a half,” he said. “We pull out a good mix of about 30 songs.”

Their repertoire varies from Kenny Chesney to George Jones to Luke Bryan.

“Certainly, the crowd loves ‘Wagon Wheel.’ I don’t know any country band that doesn’t play ‘Wagon Wheel,’” he said. “And then we usually like to close the show with Dierks Bentley’s ‘Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do.’ That’s a fun song to play.”

Greg Hocker said anyone who likes country and oldies will have a fun time at the concert, and he encouraged people to return or come for the first time to enjoy a night of great music performed by the Jamboree Boys.

“I always look forward to the Jamboree and also playing at the bandstand every year. It’s just a fun night.”

A Dover-based dermatologist was only practicing in Ocean View one day each week. But that just decreased to zero days, after the State of Delaware suspended his medical license on Aug. 19.

Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and the Board of Medical Licensure & Discipline this week issued a temporary order suspending license of Dr. Lindsay Brathwaite.

Brathwaite was already on a five-year probation that began in October 2014, for performing “hundreds of biopsies and surgical procedures without any legitimate medical need; unsterile practices; and writing inappropriate prescriptions,” according to the official order.

Until the suspension was issued, he could still practice medicine at the Center for Dermatology offices in Dover and at 118 Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View. But he was ordered not to perform any biopsies or surgical procedures, to get additional training and education, and to pay a $10,000 fine.

But the Delaware Attorney General’s Aug. 14 complaint alleged that Brathwaite “is performing biopsies on a daily basis and punch biopsies and excisions on a weekly basis. A review of only seven patient files from October 2014 to July 2015 reveals that [Brathwaite] performed … at least 25 biopsies, eight excisions, a punch biopsy and an electrodesiccation and curettage.”

“This behavior had previously demonstrated a real risk to the health and safety of both current and potential patients of this doctor. This blatant disregard for the restrictions placed on his practice by the Board only heightens that risk and the need to take action,” stated Bullock.

In addition to allegedly ignoring his probation, Brathwaite is accused of “unprofessional conduct,” which can include “any dishonorable, unethical, or other conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public.”

After the Board acknowledged the AG’s Complaint and Motion for Temporary Suspension, Brathwaite (or his lawyer) had at least 24 hours to write a response in protest but did not do so. After that, the Secretary signed the order.

During the 60-day suspension, Brathwaite will be able argue his side of the case against the State’s evidence at a formal hearing.

“It’s a thorough and very comprehensive process. We want to protect public health, but at the same time make sure a physician or medical professional is allowed to state their case, as well,” Charles “C.R.” McLeod of the Department of State had previously told the Coastal Point.

The Board had already once decided against revoking Brathwaite’s license entirely, after his 2014 hearings, stating that they believed such punishment was too harsh for an infraction that mainly involved surgeries, not his overall practice.

The Board found that Brathwaite only ever seemed to diagnose patients by using biopsies (instead of less invasive, and less expensive, procedures) and that his unsterilized equipment could lead to dangerous cross-contamination of blood. During hearings from 2011 to 2013, patients also complained of particularly scarring and painful procedures, lack of sanitation, poor office management and delayed test results.

If Brathwaite is found to have violated Delaware Code, the Board can again determine what it feels to be an appropriate penalty.

All professional licenses can be found online. Brathwaite’s status was updated at the Division of Professional Regulation’s license website (www.dpr.delaware.gov, then click “Search & Verify a Professional License”).

The official orders from 2014 and 2015 can be found there.

Coastal Point • Maria Counts: Molly Shattuck, left-center, leaves the courtroom after her sentencing hearing last week.Former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader and Baltimore socialite Molly Shattuck will spend every other weekend in the Sussex Violation of Probation Center, for a total of 48 weekends, as part of her sentence, after pleading guilty to a single count of rape earlier this year.

On the day of her sentencing, Aug. 21, Shattuck was escorted into the courtroom by a group of six women, including her mother. Visibly upset, at one point before proceedings began, she dropped to her knees from her chair, shaking, and appeared to start praying.

She later would cry during sentencing, sometimes making it difficult to understand her words.

“I take full responsibility for what I did,” she said. “I was the adult. I never should have had conversations with someone else’s son… I will spend the rest of my life making this right.”

One of Shattuck’s attorneys, Eugene Maurer, told Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley that he had seen growth in his client.

“At her core… she is a caring, empathetic and decent person.”

Maurer said that Shattuck had been troubled by many bad experiences in her life — from difficulty in childbirth to her sister’s marijuana addiction. He stated that after her now-ex-husband, former Constellation Energy CEO Mayo Shattuck, had left her for a younger woman.

“That was a devastating blow,” he said.

In June, Shattuck agreed to plead guilty to one count of fourth-degree rape. She had been indicted in November 2014 on charges of third-degree rape, second-degree unlawful sexual contact and obtaining alcohol for a minor.

Authorities said Shattuck had sexual interaction with the victim in a rented house in Bethany Beach on Labor Day weekend in 2014, and one night performed oral sex on him.

They said Shattuck had initiated a relationship with the 15-year-old boy last year, initiating contact through her own son, who is the same age as the victim, via a text message: “Call my mom. She thinks you’re hot.” The two were in communication for four months, which Deputy District Attorney John Donahue said was Shattuck’s way of grooming the victim.

“This is a classic case of grooming behavior,” said Donahue. Shattuck “prayed upon the immaturity and inexperience of a 15-year-old.”

During the sentencing, the victim’s parents spoke of how he has been affected by the ordeal.

“Ms. Shattuck is a criminal. She admits to being a rapist. The fact that she paraded her pedophilia in front of her own son is even more disturbing,” said the victim’s mother.

“He is changed. No longer is he carefree and happy-go-lucky.”

She stated that Shattuck stole her son’s innocence, and that “any adult who rapes a child deserves to be in prison… Please hold her accountable.”

The victim’s father said that he has struggled personally, as he was the one who took his son to Shattuck’s beach home the night of the incident.

“Never did it cross my mind what was happening. We were half a mile away… This was a calculated act. She groomed our son over a four-month period, as a predator would do.”

Prior to Shattuck receiving her sentence, Bradley said, “This is a very difficult case,” noting he seldom has a difficult time determining sentencing. “I can’t imagine what [the victim] and his family have been through.”

Shattuck was sentenced to two years of Level 3 probation and must report to a violation of probation center every other weekend, beginning in September. She must also pay $10,650 in restitution to the victim’s family.

Shattuck must register in Delaware as a Tier II sex offender, and except for her own three children, she cannot have contact with anyone younger than 18.

Delaware’s hunting seasons kicked off Tuesday, Sept. 1, with the opening of the archery and crossbow deer season and mourning dove and resident Canada goose seasons on private lands and state wildlife areas.

Hunters can start adding teal to their bag on Friday, Sept. 11, when the Special September Teal Season opens in certain areas. The daily teal bag limit is six birds, and includes both green-winged and blue-winged teal, with a possession limit of 18 birds.

September season dates and legal hunting hours are:

• Doves — Sept. 1-26 (a half-hour before sunrise to sunset) (Non-toxic shot must be used for all dove hunting on state wildlife areas during the month of September.)

• Resident Canada geese — Sept. 1-25 (a half-hour before sunrise to sunset)

• Teal — Sept. 11-29 (a half-hour before sunrise to sunset).

For later dates and other migratory game bird seasons, hunters should consult the 2015/16 Delaware Migratory Game Bird Season Summary, which will be available in printed form by early September.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife offers early-season hunting opportunities on wildlife areas throughout the state. In some locations, hunting hours may be affected by other activities taking place on the wildlife areas. Hunting opportunities, procedures and rules for migratory bird hunting on state wildlife areas in Sussex County include:

• Dove hunting will be available on the Assawoman and Nanticoke wildlife areas over oats planted in the fall and over fallow fields. At Assawoman, hunts will be on Saturdays only beginning Sept. 5. Hunting hours are 1 to 6 p.m. During the month of September, permits will be issued on a self-serve basis beginning at noon at the Assawoman Wildlife Area check station; no permits are required after September. Hunting hours after September will be a half hour before sunrise to sunset.

At the Nanticoke Wildlife Area, dove hunting will begin opening day Sept. 1 over mowed fallow fields. No permits or checkout are required and there are no limits on the number of hunters at the wildlife area.

All other wildlife areas in Sussex County are open for dove hunting from a half hour before sunrise to sunset with no permits required.

• Resident Canada geese — No resident Canada goose hunts are planned for Sussex County on state wildlife areas as no resident goose flocks are known to be present on areas accessible for hunting.

• September Teal — Prime Hook State Wildlife Area is open to teal hunting this year. Hunting days are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. State blinds 1 through 8 will be open. Permits are free and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis from the new tag board at the boat ramp on the Prime Hook State Wildlife Area at the end of Little Neck Road. All federal blinds are closed, and no drawings or checkout will occur. No other Sussex County state wildlife areas fall within the September teal season zones. Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

A Delaware resident annual hunting license costs $25 for those ages 16 through 64. A resident junior hunting license costs $5 for those ages 13 through 15. To hunt waterfowl in Delaware, including teal, residents ages 16 through 64 are required to purchase a state waterfowl (duck) stamp, which costs $9. Higher license prices apply to non-resident hunters, and no exemptions are made for non-residents 65 or older on purchasing a Delaware hunting license or waterfowl stamp.

Hunters who are exempt from purchasing a license must obtain an annual, free License Exempt Number (LEN). Teal, dove and goose hunters also must obtain a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Both are available online or by calling 1-855-335-4868, toll-free.

If hunting waterfowl on a state wildlife area from a blind that was selected through a lottery, all hunters in the blind are required to carry the $20 annual blind permit, available for purchase online or where hunting licenses are sold. The permit requirement is waived for hunters participating in Division of Fish & Wildlife-designated youth hunting days.

Delaware hunting licenses, blind permits and waterfowl stamps are sold online, at the licensing office in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating hunting license agent, to purchase a license or blind permit or to obtain a HIP or LEN number online, see Delaware Licenses & Permits at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Services/Pages/Rec-Lic.aspx. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call (302) 739-9918.

A Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp, available for purchase online, at U.S. Post Offices and at Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, is required for all waterfowl hunters 16 or older; no exemptions are made those 65 or older for purchasing federal stamps.

For general information on hunting in Delaware, hunters should consult the 2015-2016 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide along with wildlife area maps. Both are available online. Hard copies of the guide and the hunting maps are also available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, or by calling the Wildlife Section office at (302) 739-9912.

Hunters looking to hone their skills before fall hunting seasons open are being encouraged to consider Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center & Range in New Castle and Owens Station Shooting Sports & Hunter Education Center near Greenwood, which was dedicated last September as downstate Delaware’s first and only state-owned public shooting sports range.

Ommelanden offers wingshooters a variety of training choices, including trap, skeet and five-stand, as well as a 35-yard archery sighting-in range that is now crossbow-compatible, a 2D and 3D archery course and a 25-meter and 50-meter shotgun/rifle/pistol sighting-in range. Owens Station also offers wingshooters the opportunity to practice on trap and five-stand courses. The center also features a sporting clays course.

Bethany Area Repertory Theater (BART) is inviting local drama buffs to try out for some of the group’s fall offerings. BART, which perform at the Dickens Theater at 3575 Atlantic Avenue in Millville, will begin the season’s first production, “Hate Mail,” in September, with performances on Sept. 17-19 and 24-26.

The October show, “A Tiny Little Secret,” was written by award-winning playwright Bob Davis, who lives in the Bay Forest community. The director, Oksana Farber, is currently casting for the comedy, looking for young men and women to be the leads for the show.

Women ages 25-35 (or actresses who can play that age) are being invited to audition for the female lead and a very dramatic secondary character. Men will be asked to read for the male lead, who is in the 30-40 age bracket.

Even those who have never been in a play can try out in a nonthreatening environment, organizers said. Contact the director at oksanafarber@gmail.com to request an audition. She will arrange a reading that fits the actor’s schedule.

Newcomer Cay Cutright, who lives in the Bear Trap community in Ocean View, tried out last year and got a part in the holiday trilogy “Good King Succotash.”

“I loved it,” said Cutright. “I met great friends and got to know some very talented individuals.”

“I hadn’t performed in nearly 50 years,” Cutright stated, but she read about the play in the newspaper and took a chance. “I wanted a challenging adventure. It turned out to be a labor of love.”

Young men and women are especially needed for the October production. There will be 14 rehearsals and eight nights of shows, Oct. 16-19 and 21-24.

Other BART shows scheduled for the Dickens Theater this season include “Miracle on 34th Street” in December, “Private Lives” in February, “An Affair to Forget” (part three of the holiday trilogy) in April and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in June.