News Briefs 8/27/21

Henlopen Acres election set Aug. 28

Henlopen Acres’ municipal election is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 28. Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to noon at town hall, 104 Tidewaters. Results of the election are expected to be posted at town hall by 1 p.m., the day of the election.

This is the town’s first election since 2011. There are four candidates for two seats – incumbent Commissioner Beatrix “Paddy” Richards, Tiffany Derrickson, Lyndie Hertrich and John Shedletsky. Commissioner Andrew Brittingham is not running for re-election.

For more information about voting eligibility, go to henlopenacres.delaware.gov. Absentee ballots are available in town hall. The town’s organizational meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 10, in town hall.

Lewes public hearings set Aug. 30

Lewes Mayor and City Council will hold two public hearings at 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 30, at the Rollins Community Center and via Zoom. The first is for a request to rezone a small portion of land at Lewes Middle School, currently Shields Elementary, from community facilities educational to general commercial. The land belongs to the mechanic shop in front. Following that public hearing will be another for final approval of Olde Town at White’s Pond major subdivision, an 85-unit single-family home community on 37 acres along Freeman Highway at the intersection with Monroe Avenue. A link to the meeting can be found on the agenda at lewes.civicweb.net. 

Lewes Board of Health meets Aug. 31

The Lewes Board of Health will meet at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 31, at city hall and via Zoom. The group will receive an update on the state of COVID and its variants in Lewes, Sussex County and Delaware. The board will also discuss a possible recommendation to city council regarding vaccination and testing of the city’s workforce. A link to the meeting can be found on the agenda at lewes.civicweb.net. 

Lewes to discuss comp plan Aug. 31

Lewes Mayor and City Council will hold a workshop at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 31, at city hall and via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting is to review and discuss the 2017 comprehensive plan in preparation for the five-year review. A link to the meeting can be found on the agenda at lewes.civicweb.net. 

Lewes seeks Christmas tree donor

The City of Lewes hosts an annual community Christmas tree lighting the first Saturday in December at Zwaanendael Park. The city is seeking a donation of a 30-foot-tall, nicely shaped evergreen that will be cut down, transported and installed at the park. Anyone who has a large tree on their property that they would like to see at the center of the City of Lewes’ celebration should contact Janet Reeves, parks and marina administrator, at jreeves@ci.lewes.de.us or 302-645-7777, Ext. 100. 

Lewes approves MOUs for RR displays

Lewes Mayor and City Council unanimously approved two memorandums of understanding Aug. 9, regarding plans to add railroad displays between the Lewes Public Library and the Rollins Community Center. When the railroad was removed in 2018, a 210-foot section was left between the two buildings because there was interest in honoring the railroad’s long history in the city. The Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association was formed in early 2019, and the group developed a plan to refurbish and relocate train cars to Lewes. Running parallel are plans to add a replica train station around the library’s utility equipment next to the train cars. The station will be built and donated by Schell Brothers, and Art in Bloom will decorate the structure with murals and other artwork. The city’s MOUs approved Aug. 9 are with the Lewes library and the Delaware Department of Transportation. Each deals with responsibilities related to the site and project. To learn more go to lewesjunctionrr.org.