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Community Briefs 10/5/22

October 5, 2022
Artesian golf event raises $90K for local charities

Over 124 golfers representing Artesian’s valued vendors and business partners gathered Sept. 8  at the Deerfield Golf Club in Newark in support of local organizations. “The generous contributions of our sponsors are the backbone behind this incredibly successful event. We are so grateful for their continued participation through the years and are very pleased to once again be able to contribute to charities that serve the needs of so many across the Delmarva Peninsula,” said Dian C. Taylor, Artesian chair and CEO. This year’s beneficiaries included Junior Achievement of Delaware, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity and the American Heart Association. 

Beebe Healthcare docs earn numerous recognitions

One hundred physicians on Beebe Healthcare’s medical staff were named Top Docs in the annual Delaware Today peer-voted poll. Honored physicians come from a wide range of services, from various surgical specialties such as breast, vascular and orthopaedics, to outpatient services such as cardiology, gastroenterology, family medicine and women’s health, to name a few.

To view the list, go to tinyurl.com/4ha7fnev.

Beebe also earned honors in First State Favorites by Delaware Online and Best Of for Coastal Style magazine.

Beebe’s Tarek Waked, MD, FACS, FASMBS, a board-certified general surgeon specializing in advanced bariatric surgery, won Best Of Coastal Style for General Surgeon. The Beebe Medical Group Walk-In Care Centers were also voted as Best Urgent Care Facility.

In the Southern Region for First State Favorites, Beebe’s Walk-Ins were honored alongside the Beebe Family Practices.

“Congratulations to our Top Docs and provider offices for these peer and community recognitions that come year after year,” said Dr. David Tam, Beebe Healthcare president and CEO. “Being One Beebe means providing access to great care throughout the healthcare system, and we could not do it without our medical staff and great team throughout Sussex County.”

Destiny Suites Apartments now open in Rehoboth Beach

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the August opening of Destiny Suites in Rehoboth Beach.

Destiny Suites is the newest venture from local entrepreneur Harry Keswani, owner of Atlantic Jewelry on the Rehoboth Boardwalk and founder of the Harry K Foundation.

Located at 35859 Parsonage Road, Rehoboth Beach, Destiny Suites offers luxury apartments for rent in a central location, minutes from both Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, just off Coastal Highway.

Apartments boast top-of-the line finishes like granite countertops, tiled baths, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, upgraded floors, exquisite moldings and recessed lighting. The building offers a beautiful lobby and corridors, elevator, keyless entry system with smartphone and fob, security cameras in common areas and outdoor areas, and separate storage garages available to rent. Both 6- and 12-month leases are available.

PACE becomes Bayhealth Community Wellness Program

Bayhealth’s Education Department has renamed its PACE Program to become the Bayhealth Community Wellness Program. The free program is aimed at helping community members live healthier through participation in monthly health assessments.

“The new name makes it clear that Bayhealth is there to support the health of our community members,” said Terry Towne, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC, Bayhealth clinical educator. 

The PACE Program – which stood for Promoting Active Community Engagement – has been helping underserved and homeless populations, as well as those with limited or no healthcare options, since 2019. Prior to that, Bayhealth had its STEPS to Healthy Aging Program, which helped participants for more than 20 years.

“Just like PACE, the Community Wellness Program will continue to target underserved populations, ensuring that everyone has equal access to care based on social determinants of health,” Towne said.

The newly named program will continue to hold monthly clinics with individualized counseling from a registered nurse based on each participant’s health problems and medications.

Registration is not required, and participants may invite others to join them. First-timers receive a full health assessment that covers lifestyle habits, as well as weight, blood pressure and pulse rate/oximetry.

For more, go to Bayhealth.org/Classes or call 302-744-7135.

Residential housing pending inventory, new listings decrease

The Delaware Association of Realtors issued a press release Sept. 26 saying Delaware's active residential real estate pending inventory dropped 53% in August 2022 compared to August 2021. The association also said the number of new listings fell 29% and the number of units sold also dropped 16% over last year.

The report says the average price of the units sold saw a roughly 10% increase and the median price also increased about 19%.

The report says the active inventory increased approximately 17% and the average days on the market also increased 20%.

For more information, go to delawarerealtor.com.

Underwear for All donates to Clothing Our Kids

Clothing Our Kids works with a variety of organizations throughout Sussex County to fill the clothing needs of area schoolchildren in need. One unique program, Underwear for All, recently donated more than 130 pairs of girls’ underwear, 130 pairs of boys’ underwear and 50 camisoles. Tom and Marilyn Wanich helped coordinate this charitable donation drive and delivered the underwear to the COK volunteer center in Millsboro. The organization receives clothing requests through school nurses, assistant principals, counselors and other administrators who are fully aware of a student’s personal situation. The brand-new clothing is packaged at the volunteer center, delivered to the school representative making the request and privately handed to the student in need. “It’s not just new clothes, it’s a new life,” said Mary Rio, COK founder.

To learn more, donate or volunteer, go to clothingourkids.org.

Winter wheat, barley production up in Delaware

The U.S Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service issued a press release Sept. 30 saying the estimated winter wheat production for 2022 in Delaware was at 4.10 million bushels, up 68% from the 2021 total of 2.45 million bushels.

The report says the area harvested for grain totaled 54,000 acres, up 54% from 2021. The average yield per acre was estimated at 76.0 bushels per harvested acre, up 6 bushels from the previous year.

Barley production was estimated at 1.39 million bushels in 2022, up 33% from the 2021 total of 1.05 million bushels. The average yield, at 87 bushels per acre, is up 12.0 bushels from the previous year. Area harvested for barley totaled 16,000 acres, up 14% from 2021.

All reports are available electronically on the NASS website nass.usda.gov

Getting to Rehoboth Before the Bay Bridge program set Oct. 7, 14

The Rehoboth Beach Historical Society will present Ferries, Trains and Automobiles: Getting to Rehoboth Before the Bay Bridge, a two-part series with David McDonald, at 4 p.m., Fridays, Oct. 7 and 14. A research volunteer at the Rehoboth Beach Museum, McDonald will discuss the adventures of traveling across the Chesapeake Bay before the construction of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge.

Taking place in person at the museum, McDonald's two-part series will focus on the period between 1878 and 1952, when the Bay Bridge opened. Part one will cover the railroad coming to Rehoboth and the ferry-railroad network of the Queen Anne Railroad and its successor, the Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Railway, through 1928 when passenger service to Rehoboth ended. Part two will cover automobiles, developing the road network, and the car ferries at Tolchester, Love Point and Matapeake up to 1952. 
 
All are welcome; registration is required as seating is limited. To sign up, go to rehobothbeachmuseum.org and click on the events tab.

Make colorful masks at Big Draw Festival Oct. 8

The Big Draw Festival Delaware, presented by Mispillion Art League, will offer free, family-friendly art activities from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, on Park Avenue in downtown Milford.

The league is organizing this year’s theme, Come Back to Color, as a way for the community to gather and celebrate the joy of color, family, culture and heritage by creating art through experimentation and creativity.

Making colorful face masks is one of this year’s many activities.

Kids love colored paper, and creating vibrant masks is perfect for imaginative play. As with any activity adults share with their children, crafts promote spending quality time together. Paper crafts inspire young and old alike to think critically, explore new ideas and find creative ways to reach a goal. This activity is suitable for all ages, although younger children may need some assistance. The art league will supply pre-cut shapes in all colors.

There will also be sandcastle building, sidewalk chalk drawing, pumpkin painting, and a variety of drawing and painting activities for participants of all ages. 

For details, go to mispillionarts.org.

Exciting auction items up for bid at Overfalls gala Oct. 9

The Overfalls Foundation’s Rock the Boat gala will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9, at Baywood Greens Ballroom, featuring terrific food and great musical entertainment by popular local band Hot Sauce.

The evening will feature a live auction led by well-known auctioneer Dick Bryan. A featured experience up for bid is a night for two at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City that includes dinner, accommodations and a show. Tickets to Mid-Atlantic Symphony Masterworks concerts and ensemble series concerts, under the direction of newly appointed music director and conductor Michael Repper, are also available.

Another experience up for bid is a Cruisin’ Tikis two-hour ride on Rehoboth Bay for six people on the day of the highest bidders’ choosing. The happiest of hours includes luscious catering from Full Belly, beer, wine and soft drinks. The tiki boat has a cruising speed of 4 to 6 mph, which allows for a leisurely voyage around the bay and plenty of photo opportunities. 

Gala admission tickets cost $100 and include a complimentary drink coupon for beer or wine. To purchase, go to Overfallsgala22.eventbrite.com.

The Overfalls Foundation is an all-volunteer organization. Funds raised support preservation and maintenance of the Lightship Overfalls as well as local scholarships, educational programs for children and adults, and preservation of maritime history through the ship and its artifacts.

For more information, go to overfalls.org.

Iona service returns to St. Peter’s Oct. 9

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, at the corner of Second and Market streets in Lewes, invites all to join an intergenerational service at 10:15 a.m., the second Sunday of each month starting Oct. 9, in the parish hall. The service combines elements of ancient and future worship in an Episcopal context. To learn more, go to stpeterslewes.org or call 302-645-8479.

UUSD to meet Oct. 9

The Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware will hold an online and in-person service at 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 9. The message topic is Bear Witness, Save Lives. Guest speaker CB Beal will share the spiritual practice of bearing witness, and trusting others to bear witness to oneself, with a particular focus on gender. CB Beal (they/them) is a popular storyteller, preacher, speaker and facilitator in congregations and schools. To livestream, go to uussd.org.

Alzheimer’s educational programs set Oct. 10, 24

The Alzheimer’s Association and Lewes Public Library will present informational workshops about understanding Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related behavior at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Oct. 10, and Monday, Oct. 24, at the library, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes.

The first session, The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, will review known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, the importance of early detection, key warning signs and steps to take if early warning signs occur. Session two, Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia, discusses the causes and risk factors of Alzheimer’s, how it affects the brain, determinants of the disease and why early detection is important. The workshop also will cover how to address a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Registration for the sessions is available online at lewes.lib.de.us or by calling the library at 302-645-2733. Registration is requested, but walk-ins will be accepted.

The mission of the Alzheimer's Association is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

Women's Club of Milton to meet Oct. 11

The Women's Club of Milton general member meeting is set for 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Milton Public Library. All are welcome. To learn more, go to womensclubofmilton.org.

Town hall to discuss symbols of hate Oct. 11

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice will present Symbols of Hate: A Community Conversation at its town hall meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, via Zoom.

Symbols such as gestures, signs, objects, signals and words help people understand the world. They provide clues to understanding experiences by conveying recognizable meanings that are shared by societies. But symbols also have a dark side, especially when they are used to convey hate and bias.

Today, people see a proliferation of Confederate flags, swastikas, hand gestures and other symbols of oppression. Just two years, ago the whipping post was finally removed from the grounds of the Old Sussex County Courthouse. What do these symbols mean in today’s society? What harm are they causing and what can people do to counter them?

Speakers discussing these issues will be Alon Wilicki, Southern Poverty Law Center senior research analyst; community activists Jane Hovington and George Beckerman; and SDARJ Steering Committee members Joe Lawson and Tom Irvine.

To register and join the conversation, go to sdarj.org.

Federal retirees to meet Oct. 13

The Coastal Sussex Delaware NARFE Chapter 1690 will host a luncheon meeting at 12 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, at 1776 Steakhouse in the Midway Shopping Center, Lewes. State Senate candidates Steve Smyk and Russ Huxtable will speak. Guests are welcome. The cost of lunch is $19. To register to attend, email trambellow@comcast.net.

Multi-employer job fair set in Georgetown Oct. 13

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Delaware Department of Labor to host a job fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, at  Sandhill Fields, 20330 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown.Attendees should bring resumes and be prepared for onsite interviews. All lines of work will be represented. Food trucks will be on site. Interested employers may email director@georgetowncoc.com. For more, go to joblink.delaware.gov.

Stormwater 101 workshop set Oct. 13

The Sussex Conservation District will host a free, hybrid Stormwater 101 workshop at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 13,  at the Vanderwende-Evans Conservation Center in Georgetown.

Jessica Watson, SCD sediment and stormwater program manager, will cover the history of sediment and stormwater regulations in Delaware, stormwater facilities and their function, maintenance and best management practices.

This introductory workshop provides technical resources to aid property owners, homeowner associations and property maintenance companies.

“We encourage communities and property owners to become informed so they know what to look for and can identify problems early before they become costly to repair,” said Watson.

Preregistration is required to attend in person or virtually. Delaware nutrient management credits are pending.

To register or learn more, go to sussexconservation.org/events or call Siobhan Kelley, SCD communications and outreach specialist, at 302-856-2105, Ext. 122.

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