Letters to the Editor

How does one get experience in Rehoboth?

After running for mayor in August my opposition repeatedly told voters that “Tom McGlone has no experience with city government.”  Before the election, I filed the form necessary to volunteer for the communications committee.  Since communication was a huge part of my campaign, I thought that involvement was important, regardless of the outcome of the election.  Although I sent my paperwork in to volunteer to be on this important committee, the mayor appoints people to committees only one time a year in October/November.

Please keep in mind that this committee only has approximately three active members.

I write this letter to express my strong desire and my willingness to add value to the communications of the City of Rehoboth Beach.  This Friday, the mayor will determine who will be added to the communications committee.  I hope the mayor can look beyond the election, look at my skill set and appointment me to this important committee.  Repeatedly during the election many people with hugely valuable skills told me that they could not get appointed to committees in the City of Rehoboth Beach because they had ticked the mayor off in some capacity.

I ask the mayor to reach out to the community looking for the best qualified candidates to help the city with policy going forward.  Let’s put politics behind us and do what is best for Rehoboth Beach.  Please appoint Tom McGlone to the city’s communication committee.
Thomas McGlone
Rehoboth Beach

Penn State University: A legacy in tragedy

As a 1974 Penn State University graduate, I read with grief the Thirty-Third Statewide Grand Jury report regarding Jerry Sandusky, a former PSU football coach now facing a possible 460-year sentence for sexual abuse. His Second Mile charity gave him access to many troubled young boys.

As a former childhood victim, who when in my youth had nowhere to turn as an only child, it’s a powerful reminder. It has the model of a pedophile down precisely. The close-to-home Earl Bradley and PSU cases have a way to resurrect old thoughts and visions of incidences that took place many decades ago. It is also a reminder of how everyone who lays victim to this type of activity will always take a back seat to the bigger picture.

Whether it happens inside or outside the family circle, damage control appears to always begin with the larger entity’s best interests, as victims become peripheral afterthoughts of good intentions and public vigils of theatrical remorse. But in reality, no one really wants the larger radical change or to accept the reality of what the truth is, but rather get into a ‘back to normal’ mode as quickly as possible. So be it.

Restoring the integrity, honor, and pride that have always characterized Penn State should start with restoring the character and integrity of the victims who may have without resolution become, in my opinion, secondary to this very self-focused process still in the early stages of investigation.

This is nothing short of a legacy in tragedy. All of this is regretful, yet there can be no dust uncovered within this process, and a cleansing throughout.  The ignorance of those who turned a blind eye to this absolutely lent themselves to a false sense of security; a comfort zone of elite that passed responsible action to the next diluted line of authority until the matter lost all definition. They simply placed monetary and material matters over right from wrong. They passed the buck.

The face of PSU has been altered dramatically. There is a price to pay. The additional actions of students rioting only perpetuate the best of the worst element and now come under the microscope of the entire country and worldwide. I am not proud of the demeanor of PSU main campus. Anger and sadness are absolutely the emotions of the day at the moment, and they should be. Moving forward is a responsible course, but it will not circumvent the facts that remain to be seen. Any new marketing plan for a new and improved “Who we are” slogan should be deferred. There is much healing to be done.

Power within a sports program became the face of PSU for years. That face has now changed in a single moment and there lies the legacy of 45 years of building an empire within a university. Whatever was created in grand vision at PSU and within the NCAA has now been shattered and tarnished. It will be the sensationalized blemish people will focus on and unfortunately not the bigger human element filled with stories of reputable successes it produced; at least for now and perhaps forever defined as such.

Sports at all university levels have become way too powerful. They are not above society's acclaim to established rule and community obligation, and now the fallout will touch every level of play throughout the entire Penn State University process, every educational department, and unfortunately every extension effort.

Simply, it’s a sad day in the aftermath for all Nittany Lions, current and alumni alike.
Greg Ositko, PSU 1974
Rehoboth Beach

Lewes should consider offer from electric co-op

I am a typical user of electricity furnished by the Lewes Board of Public Works and am extremely interested in the proposal by Delaware Electric Cooperative to purchase the electric utility from the board.

I submitted my last 12 months' electric bills to the co-op, and if I had been with them my savings would have been over $500. I would like to add that I do not have an electric hot water heater or the savings would have been considerably greater.

I have read and heard on the radio that some are concerned that occasionally co-op customers may be out of service for a whole day, while Lewes residents are only out for an hour or so. The co-op serves many miles of rural customers and that may be true during some weather events, but the co-op's proposal is to hire the current employees, use the same poles and wires and supplement our employees with a larger, more equipped workforce. There would be no difference in repair time whether it be operated by Lewes BPW or the coop.

Another item of great concern is the fact that Lewes presently has only one power line feeding the town through one main substation. But if we were being serviced by the co-op they have two additional ways to feed the city from other surrounding substations if that main power line were interrupted.

I feel that Lewes BPW is more concerned with protecting their position of control than being openminded and considering a proposal that would save the residents of Lewes hundreds of thousand of dollars. A matter of this concern should be thoroughly discussed in an open forum, especially the financial aspects, with both BPW and co-op representatives present to answer questions, and then perhaps be submitted to a referendum.

I am aware that the BPW recently spent a considerable amount of money with an out-of-state firm to conduct a survey of BPW customers.  This survey was surely precipitated by the offer from the co-op, and the results of it were not favorable to the board. In fact the area surveyed with the lowest score was regarding value of electricity, or lack thereof.

I encourage the BPW and city council to seriously consider this offer and sit down and discuss it with co-op officials. We need to consider the impacts on our citizens now and in the future.
William Cowan
Lewes

LWV implores governor on fracking

A vote will be taken Monday, Nov. 21, at a meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission to lift the moratorium on and approve a set of regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Marcellus Shale Formation in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania.  You may wonder why Delawareans should be concerned about fracking in New York and Pennsylvania.  The short answer is that Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are all partners in the Delaware River Basin Commission and a large part of our water supply here in Delaware comes from that watershed.

The League of Women Voters of Delaware strongly encourages Gov. Jack Markell to oppose lifting the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and to vote against the draft regulations at this time.  Even though the gas drilling industry is pushing for immediate response, much more work needs to be completed, including a full Environmental Protection Agency study now underway, before DRBC can ensure that the environment and public health will be adequately protected.

Some of our reasons are given below in excerpts from a letter sent to the governor by the state League of Women Voters earlier this year.

The purpose of the DRBC is to bring the Delaware River under collective and balanced control and to ensure fair usage by the four states in the watershed.  The commission’s mandates also include the quality and quantity of water used for drinking by 15 million people.

The league believes that natural resources should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems.  These resources should be conserved and protected to assure their future availability.  Their pollution should be controlled in order to preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of ecosystems and to protect public health.  That is why we are so concerned that the regulations adopted by DRBC provide the utmost protection for the air, water and land and that sufficient enforcement be made available.

There has never been a complete, independent, scientific study done of the hydraulic fracturing gas extraction process and its potential long-term cumulative impacts especially on drinking water.  For this reason, the League of Women Voters of Delaware and its affiliates in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania recommend that no regulations be approved by the DRBC until after the EPA has completed its current study so that the EPA study results can confirm and add to the draft regulations.  The league recommends also that the moratorium on drilling not be lifted until strict regulations and adequate enforcement powers are in place. If you share our concerns, contact Gov. Markell immediately by phoning him at 1-800-292-9570 or emailing him at jack.markell@state.de.us
Carol Jones
president
League of Women Voters of Delaware
Patricia Todd
chairwoman
Energy/Natural Resources Committee

Congressman Carney deserves praise

The citizens of Delaware owe a huge debt of gratitude to Congressman John Carney for work he began over 10 years ago to deal with the high concentrations of cancer in our state. The fruit of all his persistent efforts will be the upcoming test of a small group of volunteers who live near the Indian River coal plant in Millsboro. The tests will help determine the health burden ingesting its emissions represents. For many decades the plant was the biggest polluter in the state.

John promised to do this study when he ran for Congress. It was not a slick campaign theme, but something that he believed in and is now seeing it come to completion.

According to a Harvard health study done in 2000, anyone living with a 30-mile radius of an old coal plant has five times greater risk of disease and premature mortality than those living in the general population. Old coal plants are linked to cancer, heart attack, stroke and respiratory diseases. Tests administered now before closure at three of the four stacks at Indian River take their full effect, and then when repeated next year, can isolate the impact plant emissions have on the air locals breathe and ingest. Residents of Millsboro need to know what specific toxins they are exposed to on a regular basis. John has been fighting to obtain pertinent information so that locals can make informed choices about their health through the Cancer Right to Know law and now the body burden study. Our thanks should go to this representative who cares about his constituents and delivers on his promises.
Kit Zak
Co-founder, Citizens for Clean Power
Lewes

Legion auxiliary thanks community

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 17, Lewes, would like to thank the following people and businesses for contributing to our upcoming fundraisers: Annabella's, Bay Leaf/Milton, Deli 88, Edible Arrangements, The Greene Turtle, Irish Eyes/Lewes & Milton, Jerry's Seafood, Karen Metcalf, Kick'n Chicken, Miltonian Pizzeria & Wing House, Lewes Bake Shoppe, Ocean Point Grill, Preshy's Restaurant, Po' Boys Creole & Fresh Catch/Milton, Sand N Stone/Lewes, Villa Sorrento, The Wharf, and miscellaneous other local contributors for their generosity.

The auxiliary is raising funds to assist ongoing year-round activities, helping veterans, needy families, children of military parents at Christmas and Thanksgiving, in addition to community needs of individuals.  We also provide scholarships to local students.  The first fundraiser ends Nov. 18, and more are scheduled in December.

Contributions to our worthy cause will continue to be accepted at Post 17, Lewes.
Deborah Guenther
Community Service Unit 17
Lewes

Cape Region children appreciate support

We are a group of children ages 8-15 who live in Rehoboth Beach.  We learned last year that many children in Delaware are not getting the food and nutrition needed for a healthy life. Therefore, we decided to set up a food drive for the Food Bank of Delaware.

This is our second year for the food drive and we expanded to include The Glade and Henlopen Acres. We gave out brown paper bags provided by the Food Bank of Delaware and a list of possible foods.

We picked up the full bags on Nov. 6. We collected almost 2,000 pounds of food and more than $1,600 in donations!

We are thankful to Grotto Pizza for helping us pick up the food, Chris Nichols of Seascape Property Management for his support and most of all, we are very thankful to our neighbors for their generosity.
Jay Gosnear
Lauren Gosnear
Leigh Lingo
Meg Lingo
Regan Lingo
Brugh Moore
Dakin Moore
Abby Taylor
Davis Taylor
Olivia Taylor
Rehoboth Beach

Pelican Grill deserves a big 'hoorah'

A big hoorah for the owner and staff of The Pelican Grill located at The Marsh Island Golf Course on Camp Arrowhead Road near Lewes.  On Veterans Day when seven of us placed our breakfast order we were asked if any veterans were present.  Six of us raised our hands.  Imagine our surprise when the bill arrived and we were charged for only one breakfast.  Thanks Monique and Joy!
Charlie Graffius
Rehoboth Beach

Feline rescue group thanks community

Just Us, a Cape Region feline rescue group, held a very successful benefit at The Wharf restaurant in Lewes Nov. 6, raising funds to neuter, spay, innocculate and find homes for the ever-growing number of strays. We would like to thank the following businesses that donated to the cause: Wash and Wag, Kane Electric, 1776 Steakhouse, Touch of Italy, Wizard of Paws, Pickled Pig Pub, Striper Bites, Vet on the Go/Cat Hotel, The Wharf, Robert Thomas Hair Salon, Lighthouse Inn B&B, Bin 66, Wanda's Pet Sitting Service, Garage Sale Antiques, Gidget's Gadgets, Homestead B&B, Villa Sorrento, Espuma Restaurant, Pampered Pet, Sea Coast Salon, Concord Pets and Mcilvain's Lawn Mowing.
Kathy Askew
Just Us
Rehoboth Beach

Lewes Senior Center bazaar a success

On Nov. 5, The Lewes Senior Center held its Annual Fall Bazaar.  It was the most successful bazaar our senior center has had in recent years.  My heartfelt thanks goes out to the many volunteers and members of the Lewes Senior Center, but especially to our Assistant Director Dennis Nealen for his  efforts and for our Bazaar Committee Chairwoman Kathy Miller for her time. As always there is a team effort involved and our community supported us the  whole way.  We had over 275 people from our area come to this year's fall bazaar, and without this community support the bazaar would not have been such a  success.
Lisa Celik
Executive Director
Lewes Senior Center

Rehoboth film festival was best ever

Kudos to the Rehoboth Beach Film Society!  You have done it again, and in spades. The Rehoboth Beach Film Festival gets better every year in all respects and this year’s festival was no exception. We are hoping that our visitors and those of us who live here appreciate the excellence of this festival. We have been to other film festival venues where it is nearly impossible to get a ticket, much less a parking space.

We also wonder how many festivals can boast of the kinds of enthusiastic interactions that moviegoers have throughout the festival in the tent, in the theatres between films, and at midnight in their homes with a house full of guests and a glass or two of wine. The festival offers a rich bounty of films, many of which will never make it to your neighborhood theatres.

Thank you to the board of directors of the society, Sue Early, Joe Bilancio, and all of the volunteers and sponsors who make this festival happen year after year.
Robert Nowak and David Bergman
Rehoboth Beach
Guy Jordan
Alta, Utah
Carol Hyman and Jerry Hinshaw
San Rafael, Calif.
Janet Bradley
Silver Spring, Md.
Mary Kerr
York, Pa.

Angola By the Bay women thank supporters

The Women’s Group of Angola By the Bay would like to thank Eric Wilke, president of Blue Hen Auction Co., for providing appraisals at our Treasures and Trash Show Nov. 10. He was extremely informative and entertaining. It is obvious Mr. Wilke has a passion for what he does; everyone came away with a better appreciation of their family heirlooms beyond just a dollar value of their worth.

We would also like to thank the businesses that provided us with gift certificates for our silent auction. They included: 1776 Steakhouse, Irish Eyes, Big Fish Grill, Georgia House, Bluewater Grill, Zen, Hair Dimensions, The Grog Shop, Giant, Grotto Pizza, Nicola Pizza, Pelican Grill, Seacoast Salon and Harris Teeter.

With their help and the support of Mr. Wilke, we were able to meet our goal for funding a scholarship for a local teen. We look forward to continuing this new tradition at the Angola By the Bay clubhouse. I would also like to personally thank the Treasures and Trash committee members who made all this happen. Thanks to our members who provided baked goods and staffed our refreshment area. This was truly a team effort.
Judy Kane
Angola by the Bay Women’s Group
Treasures and Trash committee

Cape Gazette content going downhill

In the seven years since we've moved here from rural North Carolina, I have occasionally heard derogatory comments made about the quality of content in the Cape Gazette.  I have always stood up for the integrity of the newspaper with the response:  "Well at least they don't publish kids' letters to Santa Claus." I will not be able to use that defense any longer, but I will have to say: "You are quite right."  Next spring you will be publishing letters to the Easter Bunny, I suppose, just like the King Times Newspaper.  How sad. The Dec. 23 issue can go directly to the floor of the bird cages.
Robert Smith
Lewes