Danaher to join Hanson, Legates on Dewey council
Three candidates have officially been elected to serve on Dewey Beach Town Council.
The town’s municipal election was cancelled, Aug. 22, when only three candidates – Mayor Diane Hanson, Commissioner Anna Legates and property owner Ellen Danaher – filed to run for the three available seats on council.
According to Delaware Code, when the number of candidates is equal to the number of seats up for election, the board of elections shall declare the candidates elected.
Former Commissioner Faith Duncan said the election was cancelled twice in the 1990s when she and former Mayor Bob Frederick ran for re-election. She said the election might have been cancelled at least one other time since the town incorporated in 1981. “We’ve all been trying to remember,” Duncan said.
Beverly Corelle and Gloria Rogers met at town hall Aug. 30, where they were sworn-in to serve on the Board of Elections. The third board member, Helene Bruhl, would be sworn-in within the week, Corelle said.
Corelle and Rogers took about 10 minutes to review paperwork and ensure Hanson, Legates and Danaher were qualified candidates before they declared the three women elected to a two-year term. “It seems everything’s in order,” Rogers said.
Corelle and Rogers also serve on the Dewey Beach Election Committee. When asked what they would do in the absence of an election, both women said, “Vacation.”
Howell bids farewell
Commissioner Joy Howell decided not to run for re-election. “I’ve enjoyed my time on the council, and I’m proud of what we accomplished. I felt that with the mix of skill sets on the council that I could focus on my management consulting firm and just be a resource as needed, and I wish them all well,” Howell said in an email.
On Danaher – Howell’s replacement – Howell said, “No one knows the town code, charter and comp plan like Ellen Danaher. She is well-prepared to be a commissioner.”
Hanson, Legates and Danaher will be sworn-in Saturday, Sept. 28, at Dewey Beach Life Saving Station on Dagsworthy Avenue
