News Briefs
Tuesday, Sep. 02
Rehoboth in Bloom Committee meets
Rehoboth in Bloom, an ad hoc committee of the Rehoboth Beach Streets and Transportation Committee, will meet at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 5, in the city commissioners’ room.
The committee will discuss current projects and continue discussion of efforts to improve the look of the State Road entrance to the city. The committee will also discuss its future goals and coming up with a long-range master plan.
Finally, the committee will hold continued discussion on “Adopt” programs for Rehoboth, including short-term projects such as adopt a pot, bed or park and municipal plantings.
Rehoboth commissioners to meet
The Rehoboth Beach commissioners will meet at 9 a.m., Monday, Sept. 8, in the city commissioners’ room to discuss a proposal from EDiS Company to provide design development architecture, engineering and estimating services for the proposed City Hall complex.
The commissioners will discuss the processes and conditions for merging and unmerging lots, including a proposed ordinance clarifying when lots are merged.
In new business, the commissioners will discuss a request from Kitty Cole to enlarge a porch at the second level, extend the roof over the porch and reconstruct an outside stairway and landing. The structure at 39 Olive Ave. encroaches on city land and is subject to a license agreement dated Oct. 21, 1981
The commissioners will discuss two proposed ordinances: one would repeal the fire prevention section of the city code, the second would amend the flood damage reduction section to bring it into agreement with Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements.
Mayor Sam Cooper will lead discussion on plans to install water and wastewater mains at Lake Drive west of King Charles Avenue and a resolution that would give guidance to the building and licensing department allowing replacement HVAC units to continue an encroachment into side and rear yards.
Dewey marketing group meeting set Sept. 4
The Dewey Beach Marketing Committee will be meeting at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Dewey Beach Life Saving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave.
The committee will be discussion business related to organizing and publicizing activities for the spring and summer of 2015.
For the full agenda, go to www.townofdeweybeach.com.
Cape school board OKs preliminary budget
The Cape Henlopen school board approved the district’s preliminary budget for 2015 by a vote of four with one abstention.
The overall budget is $100.9 million, about 7 percent more than the 2014, said Oliver Gumbs, director of business operations for the district.
The biggest increase was $4 million for major capital improvements – money for a new elementary school that voters approved in April. There is $1.3 million in state-funded personnel costs and $1 million in debt service payments, Gumbs said.
Another $1.1 million is for onetime items that include:
• A new scoreboard for Legends Stadium
• English Language Arts materials for grades six to 12
• New sound systems for Beacon and Mariner middle schools
• A modular classroom at H.O. Brittingham Elementary.
Voting in favor of the preliminary budget were board members Jen Burton, Spencer Brittingham, Alison Myers and Vice President Roni Posner. Board member Noble Prettyman abstained; Sandy Minard and Andy Lewis were absent.
Lewes marina committee meets
The Lewes Canalfront Park Marina Committee will meet at 1 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Net House at Canalfront Park. The committee will review the 2014 rental season, including occupancy, revenue, maintenance and safety issues.
Members will also discuss current rates for seasonal and transit slips, and possible changes for the 2015 season. They will also schedule the 2015 seasonal boat slip lottery.
A discussion will be held regarding a possible roundtable discussion with other marina owners about dredging the canal and future dredging maintenance for individual marinas. For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.
Treasurer Flowers makes it official
Two weeks after announcing he was not seeking re-election, State Treasurer Chip Flowers made it official when he filed the necessary paperwork with the Delaware Department of Elections Aug 28.
During an emotional press conference Aug. 15, Flowers said his political career was over, and that he knew if he were to run for re-election, lies would continue to follow him at every level.
“The decision was based on a need to put family ahead of constantly battling deceptions, falsehoods and lies by my opponents that not only threatened my family and livelihood, but have also prevented our state from moving forward,” said Flowers in a prepared statement.
Sean Barney, a former aide to Sen. Tom Carper and Gov. Jack Markell, is now the lone Democratic candidate and will face the winner of the Sept. 9 Republican Primary in the Nov. 4 General Election. The Republican candidates are Sher Valenzuela and Ken Simpler.
Friday, Aug. 29
Oceanside beach at the Point to reopen
With beachnesting bird season winding down and migratory shorebirds passing through, beachnesting bird monitors reported that six pairs of piping plovers fledged eight chicks this season, four on the Point and four at Gordons Pond at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes.
Two of this season’s nesting plovers might stand as evidence supporting long-held speculation among biologists that plovers that nest in Delaware will return to breed here again in the future. In the last few years, several banding studies conducted in Atlantic Coast states used colored plastic leg bands in unique combinations on the plovers that allow observers to identify individual birds without having to recapture them.
“This season we had two piping plovers nesting in Delaware that had been banded in New Jersey, one in 2012 and one in 2013,” said wildlife biologist Matthew Bailey of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Next year, we’ll be watching to see if our two banded plovers return to Delaware to nest.”
Meanwhile, seabeach amaranth, a rare plant, is having a good season in the beach parks, with about 75 plants found between Tower Road and Faithful Steward Crossing in Delaware Seashore State Park, and about 10 plants scattered throughout the Point and Gordons Pond at Cape Henlopen State Park. This species, like the piping plover, is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Seabeach amaranth grows in the same kinds of habitat where piping plovers nest and usually begins sprouting in July in Delaware.
The dunes and interdunal areas at Gordons Pond and the Point remain closed to the public year-round to protect seabeach amaranth plants and numerous other rare species and plant communities that exist in these areas.
The oceanside beach at the Point will reopen by Labor Day weekend, while the bayside beach will remain closed until October. For more information about beachnesting birds or monitoring efforts, contact Bailey at 302-382-4151 or matthew.bailey@state.de.us.
Mulberry home back on HPC agenda Sept. 2
The Lewes Historic Preservation Commission will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 2, at city hall. Back on the commission’s agenda is the home at 302 Mulberry St. Homeowner Ramin Mojdeh criticized the HPC at its August meeting for its long, grueling process. Renovations were approved with conditions in August, but Mojdeh and his wife are going back in front of HPC to discuss demolition of the existing dwelling based on the report of an independent engineer and the onsite inspection of the city building official.
The home is considered a contributing structure in the historic district, meaning the building adds to the district’s sense of time, place and historic development. The HPC’s agenda has various other requests from historic district homeowners. To view the full agenda, go to www.ci.lewes.de.us.