The Indian River School District has its number.

In a Nov. 22 current-expense referendum, the IRSD will request an additional 49 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

If the majority of the public approves, the IRSD could add another $7.35 million to its coffers one year from now.

The district is one of the most steadily growing districts in Delaware.

The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission met on Sept. 22 to make a recommendation to the Sussex County Council related to a proposed signage ordinance introduced last month that would revise the County’s sign code in its entirety.

Last week, SafeWise — a website that provides “unbiased home security reviews, comparisons and advice that empowers consumers to make wise decisions to protect their home” — listed the town of Ocean View as the second-safest municipality in the state of Delaware.

The Sussex County Council deferred voting on the proposed High Tide Church Expansion of the Sussex County Unified Sanitary Sewer District near Dagsboro following two Nine Foot Road residents voicing their concerns about the expansion.

More than four years after the body of 35-year-old Millsboro resident Nicole Bennett was found along a dirt road in Maryland, the trial of Matthew Burton — the man charged with her rape and murder — will begin next week.

Bethany Beach

Fall is a pretty special time in these parts.

The hubbub of the frantic summer season is behind us, the roads feel a bit more wide open and the changing leaves perform their typical brilliant autumnal show. And to top it off, there are fantastic events nearly every single weekend.

Once again, “The People” have spoken.

Reader sees optimism in Ocean View

Editor:

I read with interest the article in the Sept. 23 issue of the Coastal Point encouraging residents to become informed and prepared in case of emergencies. Sussex County Emergency Operations Director Joe Thomas also recommended that members of the public get involved with organizations such as Citizens Corps.

Coastal Point • Tyler Valliant: 16 Mile ‘Beer Slinger’ Joe Botchie and Cottage Café/Bethany Boat House Bar Manager Melanie Petrie show off some of 16 Mile’s signature beers in front of the Cottage Café in Bethany.Over the course of the past 22 years, the Cottage Café restaurant near Bethany Beach has more or less written the book for “the second season.”

Shoulder-season specials — including the Friday fish fry, Monday fried oysters and the always-popular roast turkey dinner on Sundays — have long been tradition for a legion of the area’s locals, and a way for the restaurant and pub to not only stay open throughout the winter but to show appreciation for the community that helps make it all possible.

While they’ve nailed that recipe down practically to a science after nearly two decades of R&D, this off-season, they’re cranking things up to 11 by teaming up with 16 Mile Brewery.

“It was like a match made in heaven,” said Cottage Café business manager Tom Harman, with a laugh, of when 16 Mile “Beer Slinger” Joe Botchie first came down to meet with Cottage Café/Bethany Boathouse bar manger Melanie Petrie and the rest of the Cottage crew.

In the U.S., blue stars have long honored military service members. Now, Fenwick Island is getting its own Blue Star Byway marker, a plaque being installed at Fenwick Island Town Park.

After years of pursuing the memorial, the Barefoot Gardeners Club will host a dedication ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m.

When Coastal Point Publisher Susan Lyons was helping her daughter plan a coastal Delaware wedding, she noticed it was difficult to find local vendors in one place.

With that thought in mind, Delaware Seaside Bride was created, with the mission of connecting couples-to-be to local wedding professions — all in one place.

Berlin, Md., musician-songwriter Bryan Russo is premiering his fourth album this weekend with a pair of shows in a magical southern Delaware location.

Instructors at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., led students on a “staff ride” at Gettysburg battlefield to expose them to the strategy, tactics and rigors of warfare. Michael Shaara’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Gettysburg, “The Killer Angels,” is included on the reading list for these future military leaders.

Coastal Point photos • Submitted: Drew Szlasa grins during a break at summer camp, where students flew aircraft and sailed massive ships (virtually, of course).For one week this summer, Drew Szlasa was flying airplanes, or controlling them from an aircraft carrier ship.

But this Selbyville Middle School eighth-grader wasn’t really up the air or at sea. She was in an immersive National Flight Academy summer camp, with hints of virtual reality, at Pensacola, Fla.

The whole building was designed to look and feel like a ship. Even the dorms were laid out like an aircraft carrier.

There were two teams — those flying the aircraft, plus the mission control team helping the aircraft navigate.

“They had these flight simulators where they taught you how to fly it,” said Szlasa. “There was this place called the JIC [Joint Intelligence Center] where you told the planes where to go.”

When flying, the plane started on the actual boat, “and then you take off from there,” she said. “The aircraft was really fun. … It was laid out like an actual airplane. It would be just you and a co-pilot.”

Every day at the flight simulator, campers sat in front of screens, maps and diagrams to complete the mission.

Families can run around or just relax. Either way, it’ll be a free-for-all with games, rides and more at Millville’s Great Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., families can enjoy free games, pony rides, a bounce house, pumpkin decorating and more at the future site of the Millville Town Park, at 32517 Dukes Drive.

Call it what you (and, by “you,” I pretty much mean “I”) will.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: ‘The Pack’ from left, junior Olivia Garvey, senior Lindsey Grow, sophomore Sarah Roehl, senior Maddie Hogsten, and junior Jewel Yanek, take off at the start of Wednesday’s Tri-Meet.They almost pulled it off last year. But this year, they finally did.

After being edged by Sussex Tech in 2015, the Indian River High School girls’ cross-country team got the 2016 season started with their first-ever win over the Ravens in their home-opening tri-meet held on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

For some of the team’s seniors, it’s a hurdle that they’ve been looking to clear for the past four years.

“I really wanted to beat Tech. We were close last year,” said senior Maddie Hogsten, who’s been no stranger to besting the Henlopen North rival on the soccer field but who had yet to see it happen on the cross-country trails headed into Wednesday’s meet.

Coastal Point photo • Shaun M. Lambert: IR senior linebacker Joey Ciriello wraps up Cape's Kolbi Wright on Friday, Sept. 23.The Indian River High School football team knows that they could have managed a few upsets, despite starting the season going up against three larger schools with three larger teams.

But after falling to Maryland 3A Linganore in their opener, giving up a 14-0 lead to top-ranked Sussex Tech and most recently seeing turnovers cost them the game against top-ranked Cape Helopen in a 40-21 loss on Friday, Sept. 23, they also know that their season starts right now.

“We’re 0-0 right now in the South,” explained IR head coach Phil Townsend. “From here on out, though, we can’t afford a loss. The guys really have to understand that and stay focused at practice.”

“We knew those first three teams were going to be tough,” added senior running back George Martin. “I’m going to use this to push myself, and I hope that the rest of these guys do, too. Those losses — they’re going motivate us, rather than bringing us down.”

After starting off their season with matchups against Maryland’s Linganore High School, Sussex Tech and Cape Henlopen, the Indian River High School football team will set their sights on the Henlopen South when they begin division play and host Seaford on Friday.

The Blue Jays are currently 1-2 on the season, coming off a 66-26 victory over St. Andrew’s School (0-2) on Friday, Sept. 23.

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert: IR senior defender Andrew White kicks field goals on football Fridays. On Tuesday, he kicked this shot into the back of the net.In the midst of a Cape Henlopen High School comeback, Indian River High School junior forward Oscar Cruz found himself with a chance to close the door on the Vikings for good, with the keeper out of position and ball bouncing just in front of the net.

He’d miss out on the chance, sending a shot high the over the crossbar.

Just minutes later, however, Cruz would get some redemption, when senior defender Patrick Mochiam sent a long ball downfield that made its way to senior midfielder Wilberth Gomez and eventually bounced up high in front of the cage. Cruz went up with Cape keeper Alan Marin — that time burying the shot on a well-placed header, to both give the Indians a 5-3 lead and ensure the eventual victory.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: Freshman Rylie Cordrey puts a move on a Smyrna defender during the second half of last Thursday’s 1-0 win.It was what Indian River High School assistant field hockey coach Molly Chamberlin would later describe as “one of the first times that they had really been tested,” since the team’s opening matchup against Sussex Tech.

But leading the Henlopen North’s Smyrna 1-0 on Thursday, Sept. 28, the IR field hockey team defense and junior goalkeeper Mya Parks held the Eagles’ offensive attack at bay, despite penalty strokes and lopsided time of possession, to start the season 4-0.

“I did not want them to score at all,” Parks said of the particularly palpable tension at the end of the game, with the Eagles knocking on the door and looking for the equalizer.

“It definitely helps, having a good defense to bring the nerves down. Maggie [Ford], Sammi [Whelen] and Mac[kenzie Gorey] — I know that I can count on them. I know they’re going to be there. They had to get through all of them before it got to me.”

Cape Henlopen 17, Sussex Academy 45 (boys’ cross-country)

The Cape Henlopen boys’ cross-country team started the season 1-0 with a 17-45 win over Sussex Academy on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Sophomore Greg Boyce, sophomore Sam Nye and senior Ryan Shaffer earned the top three spots for the Vikings, while senior Mason Hayes led the Seahawks with a fourth-place finish.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell : IR freshman OH Siera Johnson and senior/MH Sami Mumford go up for a block against Worcester Prep on Friday, Sept. 22.It seems to be a trend at Indian River High School this year: up-and-coming programs proving they’re on the up-and-up with their most successful starts in recent years.

No exception to that trend has been the Indian River volleyball team, which got over the .500 hump and off to a 3-2 start with a win over Worcester Preparatory School in three sets on Friday, Sept. 23.

“It is nice to be 3-2. Yesterday was a great win at Milford. That was a hard-earned victory, and I was happy that we won that game. I was happy that we won this game, too,” said IR head volleyball coach Jim Barnes of the start and 3-2 division win over Milford on Thursday, Sept. 22.

After the tight matchup at Milford to get to 2-2, the Indians came back out the next day to roll the Mallards by scores of 25-9, 25-11 and 25-17.

Moore rushes for 55, Salisbury shuts out Southern Va.

The Salisbury University football team moved to 3-0 on Saturday, Sept. 24, with a 35-0 conference win over Southern Virginia.

The Indian River School District’s budget is not keeping up with their students’ needs, so the local Board of Education has decided to host a current-expense referendum on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

How much will they request? The board hasn’t decided.

The size — or, more specifically, the appearance of size — of homes in Bethany Beach is an issue that has long been discussed by the Town and many of its citizens. Large new multi-story homes built next to the town’s traditional single-story cottages and moderate-sized beach homes on pilings have been a point of contention between property owners and neighbors for years.

Following a revamping of the original draft ordinance to amend the Code of Sussex County related to signs, a new series of public hearings is being held by the Sussex County Council. This week members of the public who spoke at the first hearing voiced opposition to the proposed ordinance as written.

September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The campaign aims to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.

In Sussex County, residents have access to local resources to help them stay safe.

According to the Center for Disease Control, Lyme disease is the fastest-growing vector-borne infectious disease in the United States.

The inflammatory disease, often characterized at first with flu-like symptoms and later, possibly, by arthritis and neurological disorders, is caused by a bacteria transmitted by ticks.

DBG organizers proved their mettle with donations and a bunch of multi-year pledges.It’s a garden party unlike any other. The Delaware Botanic Gardens haven’t opened their gates yet, but they’re making big strides as they create southern Delaware’s first garden attraction.

Latest IRSD referendum born from area growth

This is one that comes at no surprise, whatsoever.

If you’ve entered a grocery or drug store since, oh, July, you have noticed that Halloween items are filling the aisles.