News Briefs 5/23/25
Memorial event set May 25 at Millsboro veterans cemetery
American Legion Post 17 Auxiliary, Lewes, will host its inaugural Memorial Day event honoring veterans buried and interred at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., Sunday, May 25, at 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro. Organized by the William T. Spooner American Legion Post 17 family, the program will include the JROTC Drill Team from Caesar Rodney High School, guest speakers, a poetry reading, musical performers, active-duty and retired service members, and family of deceased veterans. Following the ceremony, the public is encouraged to spend time on the property paying respects to deceased veterans of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Reserves.
UUSD to hold ordination service May 25
The Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware will hold a service at 10 a.m., Sunday, May 25, for the ordination of Leika Lewis. In the Unitarian Universalist denomination, only congregations can ordain people into the ministry. Lewis has completed all the requirements of the denominational ministerial fellowship committee to enter into preliminary fellowship. Learn more at uussd.org.
Cape Gazette posts early deadlines
The Cape Gazette office will be closed Wednesday, May 28, to allow staff to attend services for longtime colleague Ron MacArthur.
Editorial and advertising deadlines will be moved ahead to accommodate the closing.
To be considered for publication in the Friday, May 30 edition of the Cape Gazette, editorial submissions must be emailed to newsroom@capegazette.com by 10 a.m., Monday, May 26. Classified and retail advertising deadlines for the Friday, May 30 edition will be noon, Monday, May 26.
DART services limited on Memorial Day
In Sussex County, the DART First State Beach Bus services and Route 305 will operate on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, with paratransit operating complimentary ADA-only service. All other DART services, fixed route and paratransit, will not operate.
The Delaware Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation operates DART First State. For more information, go to DartFirstState.com or call 1-800-652-DART.
All Saints’ sets Memorial Day service May 26
All Saints' Episcopal Church in Rehoboth Beach will honor the memory of armed forces members who sacrificed their lives for U.S. citizens’ freedom with a Memorial Day service including a tribute to the fallen at 10 a.m., Monday, May 26, at All Saints', 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach. The service will include special prayers, scripture reading and patriotic music.
Retired Col. William "Buzz" Buse, USMC, a member of the congregation, will offer remarks. Guest soloist will be retired Master Sgt. Bob McDonald, U.S. Army, who was a longtime member of the U.S. Army Chorus stationed at Fort Meade, Md.
All are welcome to attend; there is no charge. The church is handicapped accessible, and off-street parking is available in the church lot at 22 Olive Ave.
To learn more, email info@allsaintsandstgeorges.org or call 302-227-7202.
Lewes city hall, BPW to close May 26
Lewes City Hall and Board of Public Works offices will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
Both will reopen at 8 a.m., Tuesday May 27.
Lewes bike group to meet May 27
The Lewes Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 27, at city hall.
The agenda includes discussion and possible action on presentation of a Lewes Bike Plan to mayor and council.
See the full agenda and meeting link at lewes.civicweb.net.
Lewes council to hold public hearing May 27
Lewes Mayor and City Council will hold a public hearing on a revised plan for the proposed Roosevelt Landing major subdivision at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 27, at the Rollins Center.
See the agenda and meeting link at lewes.civicweb.net.
Bethany Beach to showcase singer-songwriters May 30-June 1
The Town of Bethany Beach will host its third annual singer-songwriter showcase at 7:30 p.m., Friday to Sunday, May 30 to June 1, on the bandstand. Performances will feature original music written and performed by musicians with regional ties.
The first songwriter showcase was introduced in 2022 as a way of acknowledging the talent pool of original artists within Delaware and surrounding states. “Cover songs were once originals,” said Julie Malewski, events director. “Most people shy away from originals because the songs are unfamiliar, but once they hear the stories behind them, they have a greater appreciation for both the song and the writer. That’s the beauty of this showcase.”
Guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy will be Friday’s headliner.
Writers and artists Craig Bickhardt, Eric Burgett and Olivia Rubini will each perform six songs with brief introductions Saturday.
A panel of four Delaware artists Sunday will feature Marissa Levy Lerer, Julie Derrick, Nate McCormick and Mariano Mallia.
To learn more, go to townofbethanybeach.com.
Midway Presbyterian open house and photo sale set May 31
Midway Presbyterian Church, built in 1857, will host an open house from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 31, at 19075 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach. All are welcome to visit the 168-year-old church, sanctuary and cemetery. Photography by Randall Huber will be available for purchase, with all proceeds to benefit the church renovation fund. Light refreshments will be served.
Battle of Okinawa fireside chat set June 1
Historian Paul Sparrow will host a fireside chat on the significance of the Battle of Okinawa at 5 p.m., Sunday, June 1, at at Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, and live online via Zoom.
The World War II Battle of Okinawa was the largest land-sea-air battle in history and the final major traditional military engagement before the dawn of the atomic age as well as the first battle in which Japanese kamikaze attacks were a primary defensive tactic. The horror of the 82-day fight is hard to imagine, with more than 110,000 Japanese soldiers and conscripted civilians killed, 140,000 native Okinawans perished or missing, and 12,000 American deaths. Sparrow will explain why this battle was so important and describe how the two sides planned and waged the most decisive battle in the Pacific Theater.
Registration is required. At registration, participants will be asked to select in-person or online attendance. To register, go to lewes.lib.de.us or call 302-645-2733.
Sparrow is a writer, historical consultant, and former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Kayak excursions kick off June 1 in Laurel
Guided paddling excursions on Broad Creek will begin again Sunday, June 1, in Laurel.
Broad Creek offers eight miles of tidal waterways featuring undisturbed, forested shorelines, and magnificent stretches of bald cypress trees and marshland. This tributary of the Nanticoke River hosts diverse habitats for several rare and endangered species as well as ospreys, eagles, herons and migratory songbirds along with reptiles, amphibians and many types of fish.
The kayaking opportunity is a partnership among Delmarva Birding Weekends, Laurel Redevelopment Corporation and the University of Delaware/Delaware Sea Grant College Program.
Each trip has a three-hour time allotment and covers a total distance of almost seven miles. Excursions are designed for those with intermediate paddling skills and are not appropriate for young children nor those who don’t have the physical capacity to paddle on their own.
To learn more, go to delmarvabirding.com.
AARP Georgetown fundraiser set June 2
AARP Georgetown Chapter 5340 will hold its annual cake walk, auction and fundraiser at 11 a.m., Monday, June 2, in the Millsboro Police Station Community Room. Members attending should bring some home-baked goods. After a summer hiatus, meetings will resume Monday, Sept. 8. Email casflowers@comcast.net for more information.
Refuges seek public comment on wildlife
Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges are seeking public review and comment on a Draft Compatibility Determination for wildlife observation, including commercial wildlife observation, and photography.
The refuges propose allowing these activities where they do not compromise the refuges’ mission and operations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments received or postmarked on or before Wednesday, June 4.
The FWS prepares compatibility determinations to ensure that public and economic uses of national wildlife refuges do not interfere with or detract from the purposes for which each refuge was established. They also describe how these uses would contribute toward achieving refuge purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Comments or requests for more information may be made by email to kate_toniolo@fws.gov or mailed to 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977, Attn: Project Leader. All comments received from individuals become part of the official public record. Individual respondents can request that their home address be withheld from the record, and the request must be prominently stated at the beginning of their comments.
Rehoboth library to announce new mascot design June 5
Rehoboth Elementary School students were invited to participate in a campus-wide competition to design and create a new mascot for the Rehoboth Beach Public Library.
Using a mascot related to the beach, ocean or bays, entries could represent a real creature like a fish or a horseshoe crab, or an imaginary one, such as a mermaid.
A team of judges from the Rehoboth Art League will select two winners from each grade level, kindergarten through fifth grade. In early June, the 12 finalists will be reviewed by library team members, who will choose the winning mascot design. The winner will be announced at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 5. All 12 contest finalists will have their photo taken in the school lobby, receive a special handpicked book from the Rehoboth library and be honored at an evening celebration hosted by the library.
The mascot contest complements the Color Our World theme of the 2025 National Summer Reading Program, which will promote hands-on learning with art, music and science programs.
Gun violence awareness event set June 6
The Delaware Beaches Chapter of Moms Demand Action will host an event from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, June 6, at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand to raise awareness regarding gun violence. June 6 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, followed by Wear Orange Weekend June 7-8.
The public is welcome to attend and show support by wearing orange and gathering at the bandstand at 1 p.m. for music, speakers, giveaways, photo ops and a peaceful walk along the boards. Signs will be provided; homemade signs are also welcome. Be SMART information about secure gun storage will be available. There will also be a memory board to acknowledge gun violence survivors and their loved ones.
The event is held to show support for survivors of firearm tragedy and promote gun safety. In an average year, 123 Delawareans die from firearm injury, and 577 are wounded. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States and in Delaware.
‘Wreck of the Faithful Steward’ program set June 12
“Wreck of the Faithful Steward” author Michael Timothy Dougherty will give a lecture at 5 p.m., Thursday, June 12, at the Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach.
On the night of Sept. 1, 1785, the crew of the merchant ship Faithful Steward blindly sailed toward Delaware's notorious False Cape, just five miles south of Rehoboth Beach. The ship was new and sturdy, and its captain was a veteran sailor who had made the Atlantic crossing between Ireland and America many times. But the weather was deteriorating as a hurricane moved up the coast, and the Cape Henlopen lighthouse was invisible in the storm.
The Faithful Steward, overloaded with migrant families and a massive cargo of counterfeit coins, was about to meet its doom. Dougherty tells the story of one of the most extraordinary shipwrecks on the mid-Atlantic coast and the fate of the 350 people on board.
An attorney and immigration specialist with more than 25 years of service in the federal government, Dougherty is an experienced shipwreck diver. His home surf break is Indian River Inlet, where the Faithful Steward was lost 240 years ago.
Genealogical society to meet June 21
The Downstate Delaware Genealogical Society will host a free program on Revolutionary War research during its meeting at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 21, at the Dover Public Library and online via Zoom. Guest speaker Michael Strauss is an approved genealogist with the U.S. Army to locate DNA qualified persons MIA from Korea, Vietnam and World War II. To learn more, go to downstatedegenealogists.org.
GuildQuality honors Bay to Beach Builders
For the eighth consecutive year, Bay to Beach Builders received the Guildmaster Award for Service Excellence from GuildQuality. The award honors home-building, remodeling and contracting professionals who consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Out of thousands of eligible applicants across North America, Bay to Beach Builders was among a select group recognized for going above and beyond in customer satisfaction. GuildQuality considers survey response rates and recommendation scores to determine award recipients. Bay to Beach Builders achieved a recommendation rate exceeding 90%, far surpassing the industry average.
“This award is especially meaningful because it reflects the voices of our homeowners,” said Carla Parker of Bay to Beach Builders. “We are committed to delivering more than just homes; we deliver an experience defined by trust, craftsmanship and personalized care. Receiving this honor eight years in a row speaks volumes about our team’s dedication.”
Since 2003, Bay to Beach Builders has built nearly 1,000 custom homes, and is known for Amish craftsmanship, quality materials and tailored designs.
Milton writer accepted to residency program in France
Author Judith Speizer Crandell of Milton has been accepted to a highly selective writers residency at the Château d‘Orquevaux in northeastern France.
Dating from the 1760s, the château provides living quarters and studios for 15 artists-in-residence at a time, providing a space to explore, contemplate and share ideas.
She will leave on Memorial Day to work on her new novel-in-progress, “The Accidental Gardener.”
The published author of “The Woman Puzzle” along with a variety of short stories and nonfiction pieces, Crandell is a former speechwriter, reporter and educator. She worked for Disney, among other licensing agencies.
Her other residencies include the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Yaddo, but this is Crandell’s first international award.
Having been accepted into author Lauren Grodstein’s advanced Paris novel workshop last summer, Crandell looks forward to returning to the City of Light and beyond to rekindle her writing flame.
