Lewes BPW honors longtime board member, president
The Lewes Board of Public Works water production facility near Cape Henlopen High School will soon be renamed in honor of longtime BPW member and P resident C. Wendell Alfred.
Alfred was surprised with the news at the board’s Aug. 29 meeting.
“I’m speechless,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m worthy, but I’m thankful and I’m very humbled.”
Alfred served on the BPW board for 18 years, the last seven years as president. He originally ran unsuccessfully for a seat, but shortly after the election was appointed by Mayor George H.P. Smith after a member stepped down. He’s lived in Lewes for more than 20 years.
He spent 40 years working for insurance companies in the loss-control field. Safety was a priority in his job, and that was always a very important issue during his tenure.
The water production facility is located adjacent to Cape Henlopen High School, stretching on a thin strip of land most of the way from Kings Highway to Savannah Road.
Prior to serving for the BPW, President Pres Lee said he often wondered what the little white buildings on the property were. He later found out they were the pump houses.
“All that time I had no idea what they were … they never had a sign there. We’re going to correct that,” Lee said.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
